Harry Chapin Tangled Up Puppet
I'm a tangled up puppet
Spinning round in knots
And the more I see what I used to be
The less of you I've got
There was a time that you curled up
In my lap, like a child
You'd cling to me smiling
Your eyes wide and wild
Now you slip through my arms
Wave a passing hello
Twist away and toss a kiss
Laughing as you go
You used to say, "Read me a story
And sing me songs of love"
For you were Princess Paradise
On the wings of a dove
Now I chase you and tease you
Trying to remake you my own
But you just turn away
And say, "Please leave me alone"
And I'm a tangled up puppet
All hanging in your strings
I'm a butterfly in a spider's web
Fluttering my wings
And the more that I keep dancing
And spinning round in knots
The more I see what I used to be
And the less of you I've got
You are a drawer full of makeup
And rinses and things
You keep changing your moods
Like your earrings and rings
But tonight while we played tag
For five minutes in the yard
Just for a moment
I caught you off guard
And I'm a tangled up puppet
All hanging in your strings
I'm a butterfly in a spider's web
Fluttering my wings
And the more that I keep dancing
And spinning round in knots
The more I see what I used to be
And the less of you I've got
Now you write your secret poems
In a room just for your dreams
You don't find time to talk to me
About the things you mean
What I mean is
I have watched you take shape
From a jumble of parts
And find the grace
And form of a fine work of art
Hey, you, my brand new woman
Newly come into your own
Don't you know that you don't need
To grow up all alone
