Straight A's
Dead Kennedys Lyrics

Sixteen, on the honor roll
I am academically successful, but it's not worth the torment.

I wish that I was dead
My life is miserable with strict parents, teasing classmates, and physical injuries.

Parents hate me, I got zits
My appearance and their unrealistic expectations of me make my parents unhappy with me.

And bruises 'round my head
I often get beaten up by bullies at school.

Pressure's on to get good grades
I feel immense pressure to maintain a high academic performance.

So I can be like them
The pressure comes from the desire to belong and fit in with the popular and successful people around me.

Do my homework all the time
I spend most of my time studying and doing homework to meet the expectations of others.

I can't go out just then
I have no free time, as studying is prioritized over socializing.

People they ain't friends at all
The people around me are not my true friends since they constantly mock and use me.

They tease and suck me dry
The bullies around me constantly make fun of me and sap the energy out of me.

Yell at me when I fuck up
Even if I make mistakes, instead of understanding, people blame and yell at me.

And party while I cry
Others around me are carefree and happy, while I feel sad, isolated, and left out.

I look so big on paper
My achievements seem impressive on paper, but they don't reflect my real personality or reveal the challenges I face.

I feel so fucking small
My situation makes me feel unimportant, undervalued, and powerless.

Want to die and you don't care
My suicidal thoughts seem invisible and insignificant to the people around me.

Just stride on down the hall
People around me walk past me, not caring about my suffering.

Suicide suicide
I think about suicide as an escape from my miserable existence.

Read the paper, wonder why
Others read about my suicide in the newspaper and wonder why I did it.

Turn the light out, then you cry
The people who have caused me pain feel remorseful and cry at night, but it's too late.

It's your fault, you made me die
The people who have mistreated me are responsible for my death.

Touch me won't you touch me now
I crave human contact, comfort, and love.

So frozen I can't love
My past traumas have made me emotionally numb and unable to love others.

When I was born my mama cried
My birth was a painful experience for my mother, maybe because of my appearance or health issues.

And picked me up with gloves
Even my own mother was repulsed by me, emphasizing my feeling of being unloved and unwanted.

Girls, they kick me in the eye
Even girls, who I am attracted to, mock and physically abuse me.

Want answers to the tests
Even girls who pretend to like me only do so to cheat off of my academic success.

When they get them they drive off
After using me, the girls quickly leave me alone without any care or affection.

And leave me home to rest
I am left alone, with no one to talk to or care about me.

Hold my head
I need someone to hold my head up from my despondence.

Make me warm
I need someone to make me feel warmth and love.

Tell me I am loved
I need someone to tell me that they love me and care about me.

Give me hope
I need someone to give me hope and positivity when I'm down.

Let me cry
I need someone to let me cry and express my feelings to release my pent-up emotions.

Make me feel
I need someone to make me feel important and wanted.

Give me touch
I need someone to give me physical affection and comfort.

The window's broken bleeding screaming
I have committed suicide by breaking the window and bleeding out, screaming in agony.

Lying in the hall
My body is left lying in the hallway, unattended and forgotten.

I'm gone no one remembers me
No one cares or remembers me now that I've died by suicide.

A picture on the wall
I am only remembered as a picture on the wall, a faded memory.

"He was such a bright boy
People only remember me superficially, as a bright academic achiever.

The future in his hands:
People saw me as someone with a bright future based on my academic performance.

Or a spineless human pinball
However, nobody realized that I was just a spineless human pinball, bouncing around helplessly to other people's whims and demands.

Shot around by your demands
My suicidal thoughts were caused by the external pressures and expectations of others.

Goin' to sleep and when I die
I am ready to fall asleep and die, ending my suffering.

You'll look up and realize
People will only realize my worth and value after it's too late, when I'm gone.

Then look down and wipe your eyes
People will cry over my death when they realize it, but they will still ignore their own contribution to it.

Then go back to your stupid lives
After mourning for a brief moment, people will go back to their apathetic and unexamined lives.

Aw shit