"Those Dark Eyes" genre: Folk
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	Why do smart kids struggle in school? A song about the joys and frustrations of having an ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) child.
	CD: unreleased demo   Label: unreleased Credits: written, arranged, recorded and performed by Paul Meredith
	Story Behind the Song This is a song of advocacy, a skill every parent must learn at some point. Having a child with this condition has wreaked consternation, panic, frustration and reflection on my household. It has also opened my eyes to the inflexibility and intolerance that is out there in our educational institutions. (I guess I haven't listened to Pink Floyd in a while..) With relatively small adjustments in the way we prepare our young people for life in this world, ADD kids would have a much higher "success rate." Indeed their energy, (often) above average intellect, and their ability to "hyper-focus" on problems often make them invaluable for many types of careers. How can our schools, institutions, families, and societies bring out their skills for everyone's benefit? Okay so much for the impassioned lecture; about the song... I came up with that riff using the GMaj descending down the scale because it sounded kind of happy, and I thought the heavy content of the song (though not without its humor) would benefit from the major key. Aside from all that, the experience has also brought me a peculiar kind of joy; partly in seeing a child work to overcome difficulties and try to be better understood, and learning so much myself in the process. Strangely perhaps, it gives me some comfort to see that so much of who and what we are and can be is still a mystery. I hope the song reflects some of that joy as well as the anger, and I hope you like it. Lyrics THOSE DARK EYES 1. He sits in the classroom looking unconcerned and bored The paper's not half finished; and he's starin' at the door And the teacher knows he knows all the answers, and says "Can't you pay attention?" He looks up with a blank stare, thoughts racin' in his mind "There's a spider in Maria's hair, that's why I fell behind..." And he makes a face, Maria screams, and he gets a laugh -- then he gets detention The report card wasn't pretty, it said what you'd expect He's bright but he's lazy, seems to be some disconnect We can't leave him to work alone; such a clever boy but prone to distraction Perhaps a bit more discipline at home would be advised If you hope your son's potential will ever be realized We trust you'll appreciate the need to take necessary action He hides his cries in those dark eyes, and that soft unapologetic stare Watch out my darlin' boy -- they gonna look at you and think you don't care 2. Well you've never had a kid if all this doesn't light a fuse From the day he stumbles in this world you're walkin' in his shoes There's times though when it's hard to know whether you should blame or defend him I suppose he might work harder if we chained him to his chair We could lock him in the bathroom, and move his desk in there Or we could take his uncle Chuck's advice, and find some boot camp boarding school to send him Yes his concentration lapses, but that's not true in a way If he were chasin' monarch butterflies, he'd be doing it all day And if you take away a book he loves, he'll hunt you down and hug you till you're senseless But he forgets to pack his homework, he forgets to write things down Tries to make it all okay by playin' the class clown And they tell him he's so smart, but it all makes him feel so dumb till he's defenseless You hide your cries in those dark eyes, in that silly unguilty grin Well if school is just a game for you, first thing you need to learn is how to win 3. Sally's good at science, Billy likes guitars Ignite the gem inside them and they'll shine like burning stars And the beauty of those kids is in the strengths and in the differences God gave them But you panic when they struggle, you think of all your own mistakes How many disappointments can you take till your heart breaks And you realize all you really want is to try and understand, not to save them You can learn to write an essay, you can learn to pass exams But can you chase a dragonfly till you hold it in your hands So many ways to learn, so many ways your brain can turn; school is just one But it's a funny world we've made, there's no denying this You gotta get the grade if you want society's kiss So get your books my loving boy, let's you and me see how much we can get done You hide your cries in those dark eyes, in your impulsive "hyperactive" joy You do your learning everywhere, like any normal extraordinary boy Just a normal, extraordinary boy... c) Paul Meredith, 2002

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