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Family Portrait Lyrics by Radical Face

The Family Tree: The Roots

2011

So we start with my father as a boy barely spoke a word of english
Fell in love from a distance
He watched her working from the back fence
He learned some words and some clever turns of phrase from his father's book of poets
She wasn't taken in that instant
But grew impressed with his persistence
They met each other out by moonlight
Made love in the nearby woods
Then her folks became suspicious
When her cycle broke it settled it
They stole away without their goodbyes
Got married in a foreign town
Made their way as best as they could
Found jobs and settled down
And then time moved on
I was born in a river of blood on sheets from the wedding day
The room was dark and the stench was thick
My father couldn't stand the smell of it
Mama died in the night cause the nearest doctor couldn't stem the blood loss
Father cried out on the back porch
My sister held me at the neighbor's house
Oh my there was a storm then, there was a flood of a different kind
Father's eyes were often vacant
But his hands were rarely quiet
Sister learned to take her hits well, both from life and the physical kind
But I was never one to lie down, despite who picked the fight
So we designed our hells
Father turned into a drinker
A dark bastard with a wooden heart
Sister learned to be a mother
Before she ever played another part
And I became a little terror
I lashed out at whatever's around
Took some time before I settled
To find a mind that was somewhat sound
And as it always does, time marched on
Six years later father died in the very same bedroom
Many said it was the grief that did it
I'd have to say it's cause he hung himself
To be honest neither sister nor myself ever much regret his passing
But I admit it was a nice thing
To always know that we could feed ourselves
Credits
Radical Face

Radical Face

About “Family Portrait” by Radical Face

Read the complete lyrics to "Family Portrait" by Radical Face from the album "The Family Tree: The Roots" in 2011. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Folk, Country.

"Family Portrait" is performed by Radical Face. from the album "The Family Tree: The Roots" in 2011 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Family Portrait", explore more songs by Radical Face using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Family Portrait" is credited to Radical Face. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Family Portrait" appears on "The Family Tree: The Roots" in 2011.

Visit the Radical Face artist page at /artist/radical-face for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.