Το “The Wrong Child” προέρχεται από το Green, ένα από το αγαπημένα μου άλμπουμ των ’80s. Ο Stipe υιοθετεί την οπτική ενός παιδιού με πρόβλημα αναπηρίας που, αναγκασμένο να μένει πάντα στο σπίτι, κάνει το μόνο που μπορεί: βλέπει τα άλλα παιδιά να παίζουν…

“The Wrong Child” comes from Green, one of my favorite albums of the ’80s. Stipe adopts the perspective of a child physically handicapped who, forced to stay home permanently, does the only thing [s]he can: watching the other children play…

I’ve watched the children come and go
A late, long march into spring
I sit and watch those children
Jump in the tall grass
Leap the sprinkler
Walk in the ground
Bicycle clothespin spokes
The sound, the smell of swingset hands
I will try to sing a happy song
I’ll try and make a happy game to play
“Come play with me” I whispered to my newfound friend
Tell me what it’s like to go outside
I’ve never been
Tell me what it’s like to just go outside
I’ve never been
And I never will
I’m not supposed to be like this
I’m not supposed to be like this, but it’s okay
Hey, hey, hey, those kids are looking at me
I told my friend myself, those kids are looking at me
They’re laughing and they’re running over here
They’re laughing and they’re running over here
What do I do, what should I do?
What do I say?
What can I say?
I said I’m not supposed to be like this
Let’s try to find a happy game to play
Let’s try to find a happy game to play
I’m not supposed to be like this
But it’s okay, okay