A tear on a mothers face

My first experience of teaching troubled teenagers... the task: GCSE Expressive Arts, in less than a year, from scratch, to non musicians. Meet Bradley. He was no ordinary young man, and this was no ordinary new job. I had already told the head teacher that a GCSE in half a year would be impossible, but Bradley was on a mission. He was just looking for a light and the light for him was music, plain and simple. So the decision was made, in February that Bradley wanted to give it a go. Three pieces of major coursework to be completed in 3 months, followed by an exam, meant Bradley was going to be busy.

It’s amazing how much a student responds to a teacher that simply gives that little bit of extra time. He learned how to use music software programs, write lyrics, MC, digital design, and much more. His reward was an interview on local radio, and his music on air.

The sheer excitement on his face when I took him down to the studios was unforgettable. But the real reward was still to come, in three short months, Bradley earned himself a B Grade in GCSE expressive arts. I am so so proud that I was able to facilitate such creative genius. From no hope, to great achievements, I hope Bradley went on to build on the much needed confidence this brought him.

I’ll leave the words to Bradley. Here are his lyrics.

Young boy sitting alone in a cell

Knows all the ones in, out, oh well,

3 months 6 months and then a year,

Yeah, robbing and mugging seemed a great idea.

Someone’s brother, someone’s son,

Caught like an animal cause he carried a gun,

Only thing was a life’s gone to waste

Seeing a tear on a mothers face.

In cities all over this world, everybody knows a gangster or a ho

Carrying a gun doesn’t make you big,

It’s just another grave for someone to dig

Listen to someone that knows,

I aint preaching to you man, I’m just someone that knows

Yeah it’s happening in all kindsa places

Always tears on mothers faces.

Young girl stands on a dirty street,

Selling her body like a butcher sells meat,

Doing time on her back to pay for the crack,

She says this is the last time but she’ll be back.

Her body tells a story of fists and blades.

What it doesn’t tell her is she’s dying of aids,

Only one thing worse than a life gone to waste,

Are the tears on a mothers face.

In cities all over this world, everybody knows a gangster or a ho

Carrying a gun doesn’t make you big,

It’s just another grave for someone to dig

Listen to someone that knows,

Not preaching to you man, I’m just someone that knows

Yeah it’s happening in all kindsa places

Always tears on mothers faces.