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The Wrong Child Lyrics by R.E.M.

Green

1988

[Verse 1]
I've watched the children come and go
A late long march into spring
I sit and watch those children
Jump in the tall grass
Leap the sprinkler
Walk in the ground
Bicycle clothespin spokes
The sound, the smell of swingset hands
I will try to sing a happy song
I'll try and make a happy game to play
"Come play with me," I whispered to my newfound friend
"Tell me what it's like to go outside
I've never been"
Tell me what it's like to just go outside
I've never been
And I never will

[Chorus]
And I'm not supposed to be like this
I'm not supposed to be like this
But it's okay

[Verse 3]
Hey, those kids are looking at me
I told my friend myself
Those kids are looking at me
They're laughing and they're running over here
They're laughing and they're running over here

[Bridge]
What do I do?
What can I do?
What should I do?
What do I say?
What can I say?

[Chorus]
I said I'm not supposed to be like this
Let's try to find a happy game to play
Let's try to find a happy game to play

[Outro]
I'm not supposed to be like this
But it's okay, okay
Credits

About “The Wrong Child” by R.E.M.

Read the complete lyrics to "The Wrong Child" by R.E.M. from the album "Green" in 1988. 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 In English, USA, Alternative Rock.

"The Wrong Child" is performed by R.E.M.. from the album "Green" in 1988 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 "The Wrong Child", explore more songs by R.E.M. 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

"The Wrong Child" is credited to R.E.M.. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"The Wrong Child" appears on "Green" in 1988.

Visit the R.E.M. artist page at /artist/rem for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.


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