The violence of our youngest child Something that the neighbours could admire Showered with what we could not afford And beat into him all that we could not have taught And he became just fist and tooth He lost every trace of the boy we knew We tied a rag around his eyes And dragged him screaming through the night You kissed his forehead, I shook his hand He scratched your face he bit my hand And we cut him loose Oh, neighbourhood! We set him free and offered him to thee And we cut him loose Oh, neighbourhood! We set him free and offered him to thee And we cut him loose Oh, neighbourhood! We set him free and offered him to thee