Their Early Years by The Residents Lyrics
[Intro]
Once when we were on a bus
Between some cities we discussed the
Things that happened in their early years
[Verse 1]
Their youngest time was spent alone while
Living with an uncle only
Half-remaining from a foreign war
His upper half was well enough, but
In his legs between his cuffs
Where his zipper stopped, his legs were gone
And so he rolled around on wheels
Self sufficient in a peeling
Little house he could not paint again
But it was spotless to the point two
Feet above the floor and warmth was
In his smile, and in his laughing face
[Verse 2]
The people that they met were few and
Might have been disturbed by two who
Looked so strange, but they were not aware
For living with their stumpy uncle
Who was unconcerned and rumpled
They then see things differently
They thought that we were put together
Randomly, just like the weather
With no uniformity in mind
But that vision only lasted
For a while until he passed away
And they were sent off to a home
The children there did not have parents
Were all alike and always staring
As they sat on chairs above the ground
So they cried and then withdrew from
Those that shouted, laughed and who were
Mean because of suffering inside
[Verse 4]
Once alone they heard some children
Shouting that a car had killed one
Of their pets out in the road ahead
As they approached the fallen body
Blood appeared and then they saw a
Leg that had been torn away somehow
So they kneeled upon the ground and
Lifted up the leg they found and
Wedged it gently just below the spot
Where both their shoulders joined together
Then the sun, which had been setting
Winked and for a moment all was dark
And when the sun returned above them
No one laughed and made fun of them
For the dog was licking at the joint
Barking loud and resurrected
And causing them to be respected
By those who had avoided them before
Once when we were on a bus
Between some cities we discussed the
Things that happened in their early years
[Verse 1]
Their youngest time was spent alone while
Living with an uncle only
Half-remaining from a foreign war
His upper half was well enough, but
In his legs between his cuffs
Where his zipper stopped, his legs were gone
And so he rolled around on wheels
Self sufficient in a peeling
Little house he could not paint again
But it was spotless to the point two
Feet above the floor and warmth was
In his smile, and in his laughing face
[Verse 2]
The people that they met were few and
Might have been disturbed by two who
Looked so strange, but they were not aware
For living with their stumpy uncle
Who was unconcerned and rumpled
They then see things differently
They thought that we were put together
Randomly, just like the weather
With no uniformity in mind
But that vision only lasted
For a while until he passed away
And they were sent off to a home
The children there did not have parents
Were all alike and always staring
As they sat on chairs above the ground
So they cried and then withdrew from
Those that shouted, laughed and who were
Mean because of suffering inside
[Verse 4]
Once alone they heard some children
Shouting that a car had killed one
Of their pets out in the road ahead
As they approached the fallen body
Blood appeared and then they saw a
Leg that had been torn away somehow
So they kneeled upon the ground and
Lifted up the leg they found and
Wedged it gently just below the spot
Where both their shoulders joined together
Then the sun, which had been setting
Winked and for a moment all was dark
And when the sun returned above them
No one laughed and made fun of them
For the dog was licking at the joint
Barking loud and resurrected
And causing them to be respected
By those who had avoided them before