I look at you with pity in my heart

Not pity for you but pity for me,
Whilst you grow up into a lovely lady,
I'm at work putting a roof over your head,
Food on the table, clothes on your back.

I'm missing all the fun things, I know you do,
And that makes your daddy very blue,
I'm not watching you learn to read or draw,
I'm not seeing all your tears and tries,
I don't even hear all your laughs.

Oh, this world is such a cruel place,
A place where parents work nine to five,
Where somebody else gets to see you grow,
And by the time I get home every day,
Tideness just hides these moments from my eyes.

The teachers, the child minders and many others
Are the very lucky ones,
To see a special child like you,
Become a lovely girl, a sweet young lady,
And your dad and mum have to work to stay alive.