For the Kids

When everything's burning up
And all the children should be running having fun
How can I convey the weight of my love,
Say that they're enough
I wanna help them feel alright
But it's so hard when I can hardly see the light
They ask about death, they don't know what it is
How am I supposed to be hopeful for the kids?

Ooo, ooo
How am I supposed to be hopeful for the kids
Ooo, ooo
How am I supposed to be hopeful, hopeful?

I wanna be a teacher, and this is why I want to be one
Cause I wanna show the children hurting that they are just people deserving of freedom
But they're bleedin', watching reruns of The Walking Dead that they shouldn't be seein'
But their parents left the TV on and they're stuck at home cause they're quarantining

So many demons, tis the season, trapped at home and they're overeatin'
Cause it's better than watching the newscasters saying they're doomed, doesn't matter the reason
What do we believe in?
What do we believe in?

They're tired of home and they fight with their family
Scared of the world as they fight for their sanity
Told to stay calm, don't get panicky,
Long as they don't go outside or connect with humanity

People are scary now, better be wary
You gotta avoid all your friends who'd be there for you
Put on a mask and cover your face
Cause you gotta be scared of the whole human race
How much can you take?
All these questions and doubts about life are at stake
These are crazy decisions for people to make
But they're kids, for god's sake, how much more til they break

How do you prepare for when your parents are scared
And you feel like no one's there to hold you close
And how do I decide how to try and ease your mind
When I'm just tryna stay afloat

When everything's burning up
And all the children should be running having fun
How can I convey the weight of my love,
Say that they're enough
I wanna help them feel alright
But it's so hard when I can hardly see the light
They ask about death, they don't know what it is
How am I supposed to be hopeful for the kids?

I don't know.

Tell me how I'm s'posed to help them with the struggles in their life
Tell me how I'm s'posed to smile and say "it's gonna be alright"
Tell me how to give them hope when I'm not sure that I can
And don't you say it doesn't matter cause they won't understand,

Cause kids understand, yeah they understand
Or at least they understand when things aren't going according to plan
And don't tell me they don't see their parents scattered like sand, of course they can tell
Cause I've seen it and it hurts them like hell, well

I've seen them scream at a helicopter cause it's two minutes after curfew
I've had to look them in the eyes and say, "They're not gonna hurt you"
And I know that they've been burned before cause trust me, I've been burned too
But I can't take another grown-up saying patience is a virtue

I can't stand the waiting, like damn man I hate it
I wanna teach the children but little things got me aggravated
Advocating for the kids, I have to face it like it is
I can't tell them not to cry because their dad already did

We're all crying, we're all choking, fists are flying, system's broken
Fingers prying, door won't open, leaders lying, sugarcoating
Terrifying, fear is growing, no denying, trouble coping,
Keep on trying, it feels hopeless, people dying, wait a moment!

How do you prepare for when your parents are scared
And you feel like no one's there to hold you close
And how do I decide how to try and ease your mind
When I'm just tryna stay afloat

When everything's burning up
And all the children should be running having fun
How can I convey the weight of my love
Say that they're enough
I wanna help them feel alright
But it's so hard when I can hardly see the light
They ask about death, now they know what it is
How am I supposed to be hopeful for the kids?

Ooo, ooo
How am I supposed to be hopeful for the kids
Ooo, ooo
How am I supposed to be hopeful, hopeful?