There Was an Old Woman Who Lived on Welfare

Once upon a time...

There was a young couple with too many kids:

Poor Isaac, Miss Sue, and sadly, young Sid.

The three of them had never enough to eat.

Momma didn't know what to do or who to meet.

Daddy was either impaired or on pills.

Grandma is long gone, she ran for the hills.

She was an old woman who lived on welfare

Leaving her family with no money to spare

Now you see,

Daddy wasn't always incapacitated

Momma wasn't always so exacerbated

But Daddy had an accident at the factory

Now Momma is always so sad to see

Daddy receive welfare from the city

Isaac is in high school

He thinks smoking and drugs are cool

Miss Sue is almost a teenager, too

But she takes Daddy's pills for her 'flu'

That leaves young Sid, age 4, all alone

In a place they are forced to call home

Well, tonight, dinner is finally served

The kids get pork bone and red beans

While Daddy takes valium, 'much deserved,'

Momma has a smoke and ashes on her jeans

They didn't mean for things to get this way.

Momma and Daddy didn't always fight.

They wanted all the children to stay,

But Child Protective Services says "This isn't right.

We're going to take your children tonight."

Momma, Daddy, Isaac, Sue, and Sid

Were torn apart, kid from kid from kid.

She used to have all these children,

Now she's alone and guilt-ridden,

In this barren land of unfair,

Another old woman living on welfare.