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

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