Released: November 19, 1985
Songwriter: Roland Orzabal
Producer: Ross Cullum Chris Hughes
[Verse 1: Roland Orzabal]
It's a sad affair
When there's no one there
He calls out in the night
And it's so unfair
At least it seems that way
When you gave him his life
[Chorus: Roland Orzabal]
And all this time it's been getting you down
You ought to pick him up when there's no one around
And convince him, oh, just talk to him
Cause he knows in his heart you won't be home soon
He's an only child in an only room
And he's dependant on you
And he's dependant on you
[Verse 2: Roland Orzabal]
And it seems so strange
That at the end of the day
Making love can be so good
But the pain of birth
What is it worth
When it don't turn out the way it should?
[Chorus: Roland Orzabal]
And all this time it's been getting you down
You ought to pick him up when there's no one around
And convince him, oh, just talk to him
Cause he knows in his heart you won't be home soon
He's an only child in an only room
And he's dependant on you
And he's dependant on you
[Interlude]
[Outro: Roland Orzabal, Caroline Orzabal]
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
Suffer, suffer the children
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
Suffer, suffer the children
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
Suffer, suffer the children
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
Suffer, suffer the children
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
Suffer, suffer the children
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
It's a sad affair
When there's no one there
He calls out in the night
And it's so unfair
At least it seems that way
When you gave him his life
[Chorus: Roland Orzabal]
And all this time it's been getting you down
You ought to pick him up when there's no one around
And convince him, oh, just talk to him
Cause he knows in his heart you won't be home soon
He's an only child in an only room
And he's dependant on you
And he's dependant on you
[Verse 2: Roland Orzabal]
And it seems so strange
That at the end of the day
Making love can be so good
But the pain of birth
What is it worth
When it don't turn out the way it should?
[Chorus: Roland Orzabal]
And all this time it's been getting you down
You ought to pick him up when there's no one around
And convince him, oh, just talk to him
Cause he knows in his heart you won't be home soon
He's an only child in an only room
And he's dependant on you
And he's dependant on you
[Interlude]
[Outro: Roland Orzabal, Caroline Orzabal]
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
Suffer, suffer the children
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
Suffer, suffer the children
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
Suffer, suffer the children
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
Suffer, suffer the children
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
Suffer, suffer the children
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
more tracks from the album
Shout: The Very Best of Tears for Fears
- Everybody Wants to Rule the World
- Mothers Talk (U.S. Remix)
- Change
- I Believe (A Soulful Re-Recording)
- Break It Down Again
- Suffer the Children
- The Way You Are
- Laid So Low (Tears Roll Down)
- New Star
- Woman in Chains
- Sowing the Seeds of Love
- Goodnight Song
- Advice for the Young at Heart
- Pale Shelter
- Mad World
- Shout
- Head Over Heels
From the albums
- The Hurting (1983)
- Shout: The Very Best of Tears for Fears (2001)
- Sidetracked (2010)
Tears for Fears popular songs
- Everybody Wants to Rule the World
- Mad World
- Head Over Heels / Broken (Reprise)
- Shout
- Sowing the Seeds of Love
- Pale Shelter
- Woman in Chains
- Memories Fade
- I Love You But I’m Lost
- Listen
- Watch Me Bleed
- The Working Hour
- Break It Down Again
- Mothers Talk
- Advice for the Young at Heart
- Head Over Heels
- Change
- I Believe
- The Hurting
- Broken
- Ideas As Opiates
- Badman’s Song
- Suffer the Children
- Goodnight Song