Ever since I was a girl my own mother vowed I must find the way to power through a noble brow I married once for love, then my sences came I must marry for the stature of my husband's name Onto marriage number two I knew what I had to do And my poor husband fell ill in a year or two Solved problem number one, now to problem number two His doe-eyed little girl with gentle point of view Would I ship her off to school? No! I told her if she stayed that she'd have To earn her keep and so she became the maid She was lazy She was crazy She was talking to the mice She was hopelessly naive, so she had to pay the price I moved her to the attic out of sight and out of mind I could have thrown her out, but I'm benevolent and kind Mother, your heart's too big for you I knew what I had to do After all, difficult children will take advantage of your good nature So you lock them up from away the key There's one on every family tree Ungrateful Hateful Vile too, the things she put you through Break their spirit so they obey Now they'll do anything you say Maybe you'd call it cruel but others would call it love Tough love I ask you, is it a crime to strive for perfection in all things? Oh no, they're so cute when they're little but Then they grow up and just ruin everything I never wanted children, life was better on my own All the screaming, nagging chilled me to the bone But then one day I came across a flower growing free It's magic kept me young, so I kept it all for me But someone dug it up, now a baby held the power So I "borrowed" her, locked her up and hid her in a tower Years went by, Oh, the sacrifice And against my better judgment, I fed her once or twice Teenagers now I know I wild eat their young But that's messy Manipulation's easily more fun A little guilt, a lot of force of course you have to lie Remind them that without you, they'd shrivel up and die They only have themselves to blame If you'd been there, you'd do the same So work them hard 'til they fall in line There's one way and it's only mine The children are lazy Spoiled too But we know what to do Govern them with a heart of stone Lock them up, so they're all alone Maybe you'd call it cruel but Others would call it love, tough love Ugh, her own tower with a water view and She runs away, the first change she gets These wretched brats think the World owes them something, but it doesn't Far and wide I rule the kingdom with a heavy hand But there was more, I had in mind a greater plan I never cared to share, so the king would have to fall But his child blocked the way to me and "Fairest of them all" She was chubby, she was dumb And grotesquel optimistic She need structure in her life She wasn't realistic I give her chores and took away the things that she'd enjoy But then I cought her singing songs with birds and then a boy Love? Was I just sit by and wait? For her to take my crown? No She had sealed her fate She had to go, and so she did and you know what They say, "An apple once a day keeps your enemies away" Don't be fooled by their tender smile Give an inch and they'll run a mile Our idea for a happy home Is one where we live all alone Dark Depressing Desolate Now let's all drink to that Call us wicked call us mean Cruel and everything in between You could say it's unjust Turning their dreams to dust This is what we call love, tough love