Little Tom
Little Tom, what will be your fate? Little Tom, will you be someone great? Do you know right from wrong, are they teaching you at home? Or have they turned you loose to roam Little Tom? I walked into a cafe and ordered myself something to eat When a little boy walked in with his shoes half off his feet He said, 'Buy a paper, Mister,' I said, 'How older are you son?' 'Seven, sir and when my papers are sold, I'll be on my way home' 'What's your name?' 'Thomas but everybody calls me Little Tom They named me after my daddy but they say, I look like my mom' 'Why it's almost midnight son, you should be home asleep' 'I know it but I wanted to get me a bicycle And I gotta help mommy buy somethin' to eat My daddy's pretty mean to us' 'And he spends most of his money for wine And he don't hold a job like most other men 'Cause well, he gets fired all the time' I said, 'Have somethin' to eat Aren't you hungry?' He said, 'I guess a little bit I believe I have a hamburger and a gla*s of milk to go with it' I said, 'Is that enough?' He said, 'Make it two 'cause I ain't eat since noon' Where do you live son? 'On Main Street sir There's six of us livin' in one room' There's me and my three brothers and my mommy and my dad But someday, I'm gonna buy mommy a big house If I have to turn out bad' My appetite left me As I sat there watchin' him And I thought, he's just one of thousands That's brought up in a home of sin Where their parents abused their children And forget to maker the all mankind And then wondered why there's juvenile delinquency When they are at fault most of the time I bit my lip and fought back tears As I watched the little guy leave the cafe And I wondered, how many more children Would be brought up that way Little Tom, what will be your fate? Little Tom, will you be someone great?