That was the way, that was the way it was
When you're five years old
and don't have nowhere else to run
Except into your mother's arms
where she held you so tight
And you're scared of the dark so you sleep
with your little night light

When you walked up to school
and everyone there was your best friend
When you learned your numbers
and shapes and played pretend
You didn't mind that your hair was a mess
you were so carefree
You didn't know how cold and cruel
this world would one day be

We were just so young
We should have known
We should have known
That one day we'd hate our bodies
and we'd orbit around buttons on a phone
We should have known
That one day we'd pluck our eyebrow hairs
and wonder why the cool kids stared at me
Oh why'd it have to be
Our imaginations have run dry
We hate ourselves and have a nightly cry
And then we act like we're fine
It's alcohol and bombs and drugs
don't ever let your children grow up
(Oh oh oh oh oh oh)

We would swing on the swings and jump off
and pretend we could fly
But as soon as we blinked we grew up
and we're junior high
So our dads dropped us off at the park
and we stayed out 'till ten
So the makeup comes out
and we think we need the perfect boyfriend

We were just so young
How didn't we know
How didn't we know
That we'd be independent on our own
and lose more friends while traveling down the road
Oh, how didn't we know
That there's more to life than sleepovers
and jocks turn out worse than the science nerds
But somehow that all gets blurred
And some relationships they end real fast
And though you want you might never get it back
The doors close just like that
It's depression and it's broken love
don't ever let your children grow up
(Oh oh oh oh oh oh)

We're no longer young
So now that we know
So now that we know
That this world could use some turning 'round
if only we could find some common ground
But it's up to us
And although at times it gets so rough
you have got to let your children grow up
Yeah, you have got to let your children
got to let your children grow up