On and On
Spit Syndicate Lyrics

It starts with a young white couple, strugglin' with the hurt
The story begins with a couple, who are white, facing emotional pain and difficulty.

when they first discovered that they couldn't give birth.
They realized that they were unable to have biological children.

Searched until they found this young light brown,orphan
They searched and eventually found a young orphan with a light brown complexion.

swore that the lord's light had shone down
They believed that it was a sign from a higher power that they were meant to adopt this child.

upon the Earth, blessed 'em with this generous gift
They felt blessed to be given the opportunity to adopt this child.

complexion suggested that her heritage was mixed
The child's appearance indicated that she came from a mixed racial background.

They couldn't wait to adopt,
They were eager and excited to officially adopt the child.

take her from the mission, start a family and raise her proper
They wanted to remove her from the orphanage and provide her with a loving family and a proper upbringing.

They're tryin' paternalism, define their love in time
They were attempting to express their love and care through a paternalistic approach.

this song'd start playin' from the skies above, see
They hoped that their love and care would be recognized and celebrated by the world around them.

Back then, black meant second-class citizens
During that time, black people were often treated as inferior and faced discrimination.

so, they never once explained how she was different
They avoided discussing the child's racial identity and heritage due to the negative connotations associated with being black.

Ignored her past, 'cause in parts of this land,
They chose to ignore the child's past experiences and background because racism and prejudice were prevalent.

there aint nothin' worse than the Tar brush, as mine, but[?]
They believed that being black, or associated with blackness, was considered undesirable or shameful.

Awareness came with the added pressures of adolescence
As the child grew older, she became more aware of her racial identity and faced the challenges and expectations that came with it.

a definite chorus of unanswered questions
She had many unanswered questions about her identity and place in the world.

Lookin' for herself but every mirror seems ugly
She struggled with her self-image, feeling that she didn't fit society's standards of beauty.

she's silent for days, screamin' please love me
She internalized her pain and longing for acceptance, silently pleading to be loved and valued.

Here comes the rain, she lookin' for a fix to fix that self hate, numb the pain
Feeling overwhelmed by self-hatred, she seeks a way to escape and numb her emotional pain.

Like, like, you gotta give me something, to, to keep my mind from my problems
She is searching for something to distract her from her problems and provide temporary relief.

She's spinnin' outta control, in time with the melody
Her life feels chaotic and out of control, matching the rhythm of her emotions.

finds herself pregnant, out in the cold
She unexpectedly becomes pregnant and feels abandoned and unsupported.

Stranded, with a child she can't raise, dark days, they have to part ways
Unable to provide for herself and her child, she has to make the difficult decision to separate from her child.

Leaves her child abandoned
She chooses to abandon her child, leaving them in the hands of a system that may not give them the care they need.

in the care of a system that doesn't
She entrusts her child to a system that she believes may not truly care for their well-being.

grows up, move her from to home different sisters and brothers
Her child grows up in foster care, constantly being moved to different homes with different sets of siblings.

Killin' her softly as it plays on
The pain of abandoning her child continues to haunt her, intensifying as time goes on.

she tries to drown out the sound but the pain stays strong
She attempts to escape the emotional pain and guilt associated with leaving her child, but it lingers persistently.

Dancin' like her mother did, fading away from the light
She follows in her own mother's footsteps, losing herself and becoming detached from happiness and joy.

cries at night the key of the same song
She cries alone at night, singing the same sad song that echoes her pain and regret.

And it goes on and on and on like forever, four in the home living alone together
The cycle of heartbreak and abandonment continues endlessly, with four individuals living in the same home but feeling alone.

Two headstrong boys, a wife and a husband, a life that she never grew accustomed to
The family consists of two determined boys, a husband, and a wife, but the wife feels disconnected from the life she never fully embraced.

Wants so bad to be a father, but his own dad, never showed him how to hold hands
The husband longs to be a good father figure, but he never had a positive example of fatherhood from his own dad.

As a child, knew no laughter, pop's heart was stone cold now his grows harder
The husband grew up without experiencing joy and laughter because his own father lacked warmth and emotion, and now he's becoming emotionally distant himself.

Stays distant(stays distant), two kids starved for love, longin' for their father's touch
He remains emotionally distant from his family, leaving his two children craving love and affection, yearning for their father's physical and emotional presence.

Big brother starts actin' up, hoping to get noticed, provokes his father's fist
The older brother starts misbehaving and acting out, hoping to gain his father's attention and recognition, but it only leads to violence and abuse.

Now the house that hope built, is torn apart and replaced by the place where darkness lives
The once hopeful and loving household is now shattered and replaced by a toxic environment filled with darkness and despair.

Tells little brother I love you, I'll be back for you
The older brother, feeling responsible for his younger sibling, assures him of his love and promises to return for him in the future.

Gives his mother a kiss and then he packs his stuff
Before leaving, he gives his mother a goodbye kiss and gathers his belongings.

He's on his own now, try'na leave it all behind him
He sets out on his own, attempting to escape the painful past and leave it all behind.

but, his own reflection serves to remind him
However, when he looks at his own reflection, it serves as a constant reminder of his troubled past and the person he wants to distance himself from.

Dad's eyes, stare back from the mirror's glass
His father's eyes seem to be looking back at him through the mirror.

soundtrack to his hidden past
The song serves as a soundtrack to his suppressed and painful memories from the past.

Now a grown man, hasn't seen his family in years
As an adult, he hasn't had any contact with his family for many years.

Miss his little brother but he can't face his fears
He longs to see his younger brother but is unable to confront his fears and reconcile with his past.

Goin' steady with this girl now, she's expecting
He is in a committed relationship with a girl who is now pregnant.

looks like things might just work out
It appears that his life is finally taking a positive turn, and things might fall into place.

Gives birth May twenty-one, wish his dad was around to see his beautfiul grandson
His partner gives birth to their son on May twenty-first, and he wishes his father could be there to witness the birth of his beautiful grandson.

Things are great, but as years pass, becomes harder and harder to relate
Initially, things are going well, but as time goes by, it becomes increasingly difficult for him to connect and relate to his family.

So he retreats, hides behind walls, becomin' a replica of the man that he hates
As a result, he withdraws and builds emotional walls, ultimately becoming a mirror image of the man he despises - his own father.

Like father, like son right, this song plays on in darkness waiting for the sunrise
He realizes that he is repeating the same patterns and behaviors as his father, and this song continues to play in the darkness, waiting for a new beginning.

Bruno it's your son speakin'
The artist is addressing Bruno, the father, directly.

It's been a while huh, since the night you decided to up and leaves us there
It has been a long time since the night Bruno chose to leave his family behind.

out to fend for somethin' you pretended to love and then retreat to where you needn't care
He left them to struggle and fend for themselves after pretending to love them, only to retreat to a place where he doesn't have to take responsibility or care.

Heath, I didn't ask for much but stayin' in touch with me instead of driftin' apart
The singer, named Heath, expresses that he only wanted his father to stay in contact with him instead of growing distant over time.

Escapin' the dismal reality of home, drunk calls to my phone like James it's your father
His father would call him while intoxicated, trying to escape the harsh reality of their home, addressing him by his name - James.

Mum lost to winter[?], cried as I sat lifeless, told me I was too young to comprehend it
His mother passed away, leaving him devastated and numb, and his father told him that he was too young to fully understand the situation.

Questionin' your whereabouts, learnt that a single mother's upbringing sure out-weighed long domestics
He questions where his father has been and realizes that being raised by a single mother was more beneficial than growing up with long-lasting conflicts.

Mum's playin' both roles, world's got it in for me
His mother had to fulfill both parental roles, and he feels like the world is against him.

Runnin' like my father after girl's golden infamy[?]
He finds himself repeating his father's behavior of running away when faced with the potential of a committed relationship.

Told myself I never seen my son the same, tune in the news about my half-brother came
He promised himself that he would never treat his own son the way his father treated him, but this resolution was tested when he learned about the birth of his half-brother through the news.

You told me you were teachin' him guitar, so nice you were trying with Dean, but
His father claimed to be teaching his half-brother guitar, and he acknowledges that it was a nice gesture, but...

where were you when I was sixteen? The fuck were you when birthday calls?
He questions his father's absence when he was sixteen years old and wonders why he was never present for birthday celebrations.

You should'a been there for my first shave, my first graze off my bike
He expresses the moments and milestones that his father missed, such as his first shave and the first time he fell off his bike and got injured.

My friends taught me to ride, your absence taught me I'm a rider
He learned how to ride a bike from his friends, highlighting that his father's absence taught him to be self-reliant and independent.

Brought all the kinda, things you try to grasp as a child into focus and mum's home taught me I'm alright
Growing up without his father forced him to mature quickly, gaining a clear understanding of the things he longed for as a child. His mother's home provided him with stability and reassurance.

'Shown[?] a likeness between us' says mum seldom, delve deeper I'm sure you're sure to find that
His mother rarely acknowledges any resemblance between him and his father, but if one were to look closer, similarities may be found.

certain set of traits get past through the further generations like feeding my son and daughter's life
Certain traits and characteristics are passed down through generations, just like he is now passing on life lessons to his own son and daughter.

Your's were no longer, playin' the key of our lives
His father's presence and influence no longer played a significant role in their lives.

we've grown stronger, forget those ties[?]
Despite the absence of their father, they have become stronger as a family and have moved on, choosing to let go of the negative ties that bind them.

Through your cowardly acts I seek courage, keep running with guilt and regret won't tire[?] us
His father's cowardly actions have made him determined to find courage, and despite his father's guilt and regret, he will continue moving forward.

Stop.
The artist abruptly ends the song, implying a desire to put an end to the cycle of pain and abandonment.

You can't stop, can't stop the song...
Despite the singer's plea to stop the cycle, the song and the pain it represents continue on.