she was twenty six when she came to the burbs
where the family secrets stop at the curbs
i was nine when she moved next door
she had married a republican he was for the war
he was mean he beat her up
all the time preaching that republican stuff
hated blacks hated jews
knelt down sundays at our lady of the blues

over at my house things were sad
because my folks were always fighting that made me feel bad
i went to her door with a cookie tin
i said i am your neighbor would you let me in
she was big having a baby
she asked me are you hungry and i said maybe
she gave me soup a piece of toast
she gave me what i needed the most

yeah,
thank you for the love you gave
to me as a child
there must have been so much pain
that you never cried
in my

home away from home

then one day we found a sick bird
on the very same doorstep where i first met her
being a nurse well, she took the bird in
and we fed her with an eye dropper til the following spring
when the time came to let the bird go
this is what she said when i cried no
if you keep her locked inside
honey, she won't be able to fly

yeah,
thank you for the love you gave
to me as a child
there must have been so much pain
that you never cried
in my

home away from home
home away from home