Parents — Summary

When you cheat on a test or steal a little money When you joke about others and think it's quite funny "Your parents didn't raise you properly."

When you grow up in the future and maybe rob a bank or vandalize a famous landmark with graffiti on your hands "Your parents didn't raise you properly."

What does that have to do with them?

Maybe they talked to me maybe they shouted at me Maybe they led by example or just simply left me

What effect does that have? What impact does that make? Does that really matter when it's all a huge mistake?

"Your dad was a brilliant, courageous man." "Your mum was always ready to lend a helping hand." Standing beside them, I'm always less than what they expect of me in the end

"You look so much like your dad!" "You sound just like your mom!" "But wait, isn't it quite sad that you're just a little dumb?"

Sure, my parents were scholars My dad works as a doctor My mom became a lawyer Me? I just want to play soccer

Why aren't I smart like my dad, you ask? Because I'm not him, that's why. Why aren't I kind like my mum, you ask? Because I'm not her twin, that's why.

I'd like to be myself thank you very much Release me from your restraint Is that really too much to ask?

This is my choice I'm making. This is my path I'm taking. This is my future I'm shaping. This is my life I'm living.

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Someone is tired of being judged by his parents' reputations. The speaker says that whenever he cheats, jokes cruelly, or might someday commit a crime, people blame the way he was raised. Yet when they praise his accomplished father and helpful mother, he always seems to fall short beside them. Either way, he's measured against someone else.

The tone starts out frustrated and sarcastic, especially in the mocking questions about looking and sounding like his parents. Then it grows steadier and more defiant. The speaker admits his parents are a doctor and a lawyer, while all he wants is to play soccer. He answers the comparisons plainly: he isn't them, and he isn't their twin. The repeated "This is my..." lines at the end sound like a vow. The mood is a mix of hurt and determination, with a young person insisting on choosing his own path.

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