"The Monster" is a song from my forthcoming album, "Bedtime Stories". I expect the album to be complete in Spring 2006, and I will make it freely available to Everythingians once it's done. A lot of the songs on the album explore the relationship between parents and children, throughout the life of that relationship.

This is a dark song. It concerns the abuse of a girl by her father, and the perpetuation of that abuse through the generations. It was difficult to write, and remains difficult to perform.

The Monster

She sat amidst a pile of toys,
A quiet child, no trouble at all,
She stayed away from all the boys,
They didn't care at all.

Maybe she wasn't safe with Daddy after all,
When the Monster came to call,
He wore a familiar face.
Baby is lost now, her smile has flown away,
The Monster came to play,
And childhood died in his embrace.

As time went by her anger grew,
She didn't speak, kept it hidden inside,
And no-one cared, 'cos no-one knew,
And every day she lied.

Maybe she hurt in ways her Mother never saw,
She couldn't just ignore,
What the others could.
Baby was crying but the silence drowned her out,
Her timid little shout,
Never did her any good.

And do you picture Baby keeping him at bay?
And do you wonder why she never ran away?
And do you blame her, think she should have made the Monster pay?
Well, what do you know?

She has a baby of her own,
A quiet child, no trouble at all...