I believe that most people can relate to music in almost every way; whether it’s a song about the heartache of a break up, or about war. Music is one of the most important things in my life. It alters my mood and can make me feel amazing and happy when I’m in the worst mood.
There are many songs that I take apart the lyrics to. Each of those songs I can somehow fit into my life. That’s what music does for people. It lets you know that things like what you’re going through happen to everyone and you’ll get through it.
My younger brother -- who listens to similar music as me -- exposed me to Escape The Fate. They’re awesome and I absolutely love them. I ended up downloading as many songs as I could by them. This is when I came across the song The Day I Left The Womb.
The lyrics are:
Mother, where are you today,
You took a piece of me the day you went away,
No recollection nor the smell of your perfume,
I took a piece of you the day I left the womb,
Brother, put your needles down,
The best thing for you is to leave this awful town,
Pretty soon, you’ll have kids to feed,
If you see mother tell her I can say,
[Chorus]
Please don’t worry I am doing fine,
You’re much too busy to even find the time,
So use your chemicals and take this to your grave,
The boys you left are men you didn’t raise.
And Daddy, how are you today?
You must be proud of the boys that you have raised,
Your withered heart and everything it’s seen
Your cuts and calluses, you had kids to feed,
[Chorus]
This is the only song I’ve heard that I feel I can relate to perfectly. Songs about love, they can apply to any situation. This song really hit home for me. What I get from the song is that it’s about two boys whose mother left them, choosing an addiction over her kids. They then lived with their dad, who took care of them.
My brother and I used to live with my mom. I cannot fully explain all that happened because it would take a novel to write all my feelings towards her.
She was a horrible excuse for a mother, that’s about as blunt as I can be. She would always choose a boyfriend -- I still don’t get why anyone would want her -- over her kids. She’d make my brother pack his things threatening him that he would have to live with his father. He would’ve been better off with my dad anyways, why he was upset about it? My mother was scary, and manipulative. She would always tell me my dad didn’t love me, he only loved my brother.
My dad isn’t my biological father but he is my brother’s. He raised me since I was born when he was with my mom -- I don’t know who my real father is, my mom slept with anyone she could. Then they broke up and now he’s with my step mom Kim, who’s more of a mom then my actual mother ever was to me.
Kim and my dad fought for custody of us, but for some reason lost -- Perhaps my mom wasn’t as crazy then. We would visit them every other weekend. I solely blame my mother for convincing me my dad hated me and Kim was an evil bitch. I never went for visits again.
One fateful afternoon a children’s aid worker gave us a visit. This is the best thing that’s happened to me. She saw that my mother was unfit to be looking after us -- having been high off of Prozac.
Most people have maybe one or two cats at a time... we had 16. both my brother and I were extremely allergic to cats. The house was always a mess and smelled. My mother would sell our movies -- birthday presents -- to buy cigarettes. We had to go to food banks constantly to eat a meal. She never had a job, because she was lazy. She never made my brother go to school, we had horrible grades. I was the one trying to get Greg to go to school. I was the one who made dinner. I was the one doing dishes. I was the mom.
I don’t remember her name, but this lady -- the children’s aid worker -- asked me and my brother where we would like to go. My mom sat there trying to convince me to go to her sisters.
“I want to go to Daddy’s” I said. I hadn’t been there in over two years, and I still don’t know why I thought of them, but I’m glad I did. My brother nodded in agreement.
I showed my brother the song I had found and asked him if it meant anything to him. He knew what I was thinking about as soon as he heard the lyrics. My brother and I never got along when we lived with my mother, but we’d always stick together anyways. We both have similar feelings to our mother.
I think of all this when I hear that song. I think of how great my life is now, and how I’m so glad to be out of that toxic situation. I think about everything me and my brother have been though, and how grateful I am to have him. I think of how much my parents love me, and wish I appreciated them more. Then I think about my mom, and wonder why she never made an effort for us... ever.