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