Lyrics Runs in the Family - Amanda Palmer

Runs in the Family

My friend has problems with winter and autumn
They give him prescriptions, they shine bright lights on him
They say it’s genetic, they say he can’t help it, they say you can catch it
But sometimes you’re born with it
My friend has blight, he gets shakes in the night
And they say there is no way that they could have caught it in
Time takes its toll on him, it is traditional, it is inherited
Predisposition
All day I’ve been wondering what is inside of me
Who can I blame for it?
I say it runs in the family
This family that carries me to such great lengths
To open my legs up to anyone who’ll have me
It runs in the family, I come by it honestly
Do what you want 'cause, who knows, it might
Fill me up, me up, me up, me up, me up, me up, me up, me up
Fill me up, me up, me up, me up, me up, me up, me up, me up
My friend’s depressed, she’s a wreck, she’s a mess
They’ve done all sorts of tests and they guess it has something to do
With her grandmother’s grandfather’s grandmother
Civil war soldiers who badly infected her
My friend has maladies, rickets, and allergies
That she dates back to the 17th century
Somehow she manages, in her misery
Strips in the city and shares all her best tricks with
Me?
Well, I’m well
Well, I mean I’m in hell
Well, I still have my health
(At least that’s what they tell me)
If wellness is this, what in hell’s name is sickness?
But business is business!
And business runs in the family
We tend to bruise easily bad in the blood
I’m telling you 'cause I just want you to know me
Know me and my family, we’re wonderful folks
But don’t get too close to me 'cause you might
Knock me up, me up, me up, me up, me up, me up, me up, me up
Knock me up, me up, me up, me up, me up, me up, me up, me up
Mary, have mercy
Now look what I’ve done
But don’t blame me because I can’t help where I come from
And running is something that we’ve always done well and mostly I can’t even
tell what I’m running from
Run from their pity, from responsibility
Run from the country and run from the city
I can run from the law, I can run from myself, I can run for my life,
I can run into debt, I can run from it all, I can run 'till I’m gone,
I can run for the Office, and run from the cause
I can run using every last ounce of energy
I cannot, I cannot
I cannot run from my family
They’re hiding inside me, corpses on ice
Come in if you’d like but just don’t tell my family
They’d never forgive me, they say that I’m crazy
But they would say anything if it would
Shut me up
Shut me up
Shut me up, me up, me up, me up, me up, me up, me up, me up
Shut me up, me up, me up, me up, me up, me up, me up, me up