Ee-i-addio
Hazel O 'Connor Lyrics
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Red ringed the eyes of the women who cried to the night
Black and possessed are the eyes of the man who drank to no foresight
Then suffer little children, a haunted dream
Bright eyes, scared eyes, a silent scream
Now why'd you make me hit you - he'd say
Leave me alone I hate you - she'd say
[CHORUS:]
A leopard can't change his spots
A tiger can't change his stripes
EE-I-addio
Mum and Dad still have their frights
This woman she takes a couple of pills to hide
When there's no place to run you'd better just shut the door inside
Well, riddle me when is a home not a home
When you're twenty floors up and your love has gone
Your love was spent on fairy soap
For hands that do dishes and hang your hopes
On children who in turn look back to you
[CHORUS]
Riddle me when is a home not a home
When you're twenty floors up and your love has gone
Your love was spent on fairy soap
For hands that do dishes and hang your hopes
On children who in turn look back to you
[Repeat CHORUS to Fade]
The song "Ee-i-addio" by Hazel O'Connor tells a tragic story of domestic violence and its impact on children. The opening lines describe the aftermath of the violence, as women cry with red-ringed eyes and the abuser drinks with black and possessed eyes, implying he lacks control and is likely in a state of rage. The phrase "suffer little children" from the biblical passage Matthew 19:14 is used to represent the helpless youth who witness the abuse and must experience it as a haunting dream. The lyrics capture the pain and trauma that these innocent victims endure, with their bright and scared eyes and silent screams.
The second verse depicts the toxic cycle of abuse between a husband and wife, with the man resorting to physical violence and the woman turning to pills in desperation. The chorus states that a leopard can't change his spots and a tiger can't change his stripes, implying that those who are abusive will continue to be so. The use of "EE-I-addio," which is a Scottish or Irish chant or cheer, is meant to be a sarcastic response to the bleak reality of families living in fear and dysfunction. The final lines of the song reinforce the idea that a home is not a home if it lacks safety and love, and that domestic violence affects multiple generations.
Line by Line Meaning
Red ringed the eyes of the women who cried to the night
The women were crying so much that their eyes have become red and they were crying continuously during the night.
Black and possessed are the eyes of the man who drank to no foresight
The man is very dark and possessed because he drank alcohol without any thought.
Then suffer little children, a haunted dream
Children are suffering because of the disturbances in their dream.
Bright eyes, scared eyes, a silent scream
The eyes of children are bright, scared and they are quietly screaming in fear.
Now why'd you make me hit you - he'd say
He would say, why did you make me hit you?
Leave me alone I hate you - she'd say
She would say, leave me alone, I hate you.
Suffer little children, hear and have no say
Children are suffering and they have no say in it.
[CHORUS:] A leopard can't change his spots
A leopard cannot change its spots which means people cannot change who they are.
A tiger can't change his stripes
Tigers cannot change their stripes which means people cannot change their nature or character.
EE-I-addio Mum and Dad still have their frights
People cannot change who they are and parents of these children always have fear and anxiety.
This woman she takes a couple of pills to hide
This woman consumes pills to hide her pain or fear.
When there's no place to run you'd better just shut the door inside
When there's no place to go, it's better to close the door and stay inside.
Well, riddle me when is a home not a home
When is a home not a home is a riddle.
When you're twenty floors up and your love has gone
When you're living at the twenty floors up of a building and you have lost your love.
Your love was spent on fairy soap
Your love was wasted on something that does not exist in reality such as fairy soap.
For hands that do dishes and hang your hopes
Hands that wash dishes and keep your hopes alive.
On children who in turn look back to you
Your children look up to you for hope and guidance.
[CHORUS]
Repeats chorus
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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