A little girl who just turned nine
Awakes to another fight
She covers her head
And closes her eyes.

How could the neighbors not have heard
Done a thing or said a word
What was painfully clear
Too often occurred.

The rumors started
when it all came to an end
they blamed it on the bottle and said he was a drinkin' man
Sometimes in the distance
you can still hear her cry
Breaking the silence
In the dead of the night.

She walks softly down the hall
Sees his shadow on the wall
Turns the corner
Sees her mama fall.

Daddy went too far this time
Just about to cross that line
He never saw it comin'
He thought he had that forty-five.

The rumors started
When it all came to an end
They blamed it on the bottle and said he was a drinkin' man
Sometimes in the distance
You can still hear her cry
Breaking the silence
In the dead of the night.

She didn't chose this life
She's a victim of circumstance
But she made a choice that night
And took the law in her little hands.

The rumors started
When it all came to an end
They blamed it on the bottle and said he was a drinkin' man
Wometimes in the distance
You can still hear her cry
Breaking the silence
In the dead of the night...