Children One and All (Rod McKuen x Gold Panda)

Some of us live in big white houses
some of us live in small
some of our names are written on blackboards
some are written on walls.

Some of our daddies work in factories
some of them stand in line
some of our daddies buy us marbles
some of them just buy wine.

But at night you can’t tell Sunday suits
from tattered overalls
then we’re only children
children one and all.

Some of us take our lunch in boxes
some in paper sacks
some of us kids join in the laughter
some hear it at our backs.

Some of our mothers sew fine linen
some can’t sew a stitch
some of our mothers dress up poorly
some of them dress up rich.

But at night you can’t tell party dresses
from hand-me-downs too small
then we’re only children
children one and all.

Some of us learn our lessons poorly
some of us learn them well
some of us find an earthly heaven
some of us live in hell.

Some of us go right on a-preachin’
without making too much sense
some of us hide behind the wall
some behind a fence.

But at night you can’t tell picket fences
from bricks that tower tall
then we’re only children
children one and all.

Some of us grow up tall and handsome
some of us grow up plain
some of us own the world in ransom
some of us just our name.

Some of our people die in misery
some of them die in peace
some of our people die for nothing
but dying doesn’t cease.

And at night you can’t tell fancy coffins
from boxes in the hall
then we’re only children
children one and all
children, children, children one and all...