A Little Girl

3/16/25

[Em]A little girl’s bath she [C]won’t forget
[G]beaten by a belt while [D]she is wet
[Em]drowning her hopes of [C]dignity
[G]pools of tears held [D]silently

[Em]tiny mind big [C]thoughts don’t fit
in [G]to the size of the [D]innocent
[Em]new box of crayons she [C]did not use
[G]to color her rainbows [D]black and blue

[chorus]
[C]just a little [G]girl
[C]Who does that to a [G]little girl?
[C]a little girl
[Em]a little girl
Who does [D]that to
a little girl

[Em]told not to sing kept [C] songs inside
stuffed it [G]back into the deep [D]of her mind
Can’t [Em]know what she won’t [C]think about
A [G]little girl [D]never came back [G]out

[Em]actions of others never [C]held her back
[G]beating in the bath she [D]can’t get past
today she [Em]heals herself [C]from the wrongs
[G]adult allowed to [D]sing her own [G]songs

[chorus]

[Em]the beating in the bath she [C]won’t forget
the [G]leather belt stole her [D]innocence
[Em]drowning her hopes of [C]dignity
[G]pools of tears held [D]silently

Too [Em]young to be [C]left alone
while [G]all the daddies [D]come and go

Can’t [Em]know what she won’t [C]think about
stuffed it [G]back into the deep [D]of her mind

keep [Em]quiet shhh every[C]thing is fine

[Em]forbidden and told [C]not to sing
[G]nobody noticed she [D]stopped speaking
[Em]stuffed so deep in the back don’t [C]think about
A [G]little girl [D]never came back [G]out

a [Em]lifetime of memories now [C]analyzed
[G]can’t change time now [D]that’s just life

actions of others never held her back
but that beating in the bath she never got past
today she [Em]heals herself [C]from her wrongs
[G]now allowed to [D]sing her own [G]song

——-

a lifetime of memories are now analyzed
can’t change time now that’s just life
today she heals herself from her wrongs
now allowed to sing her own song

actions of others never held her back
but that beating in the bath she never got past
treating a child that way was not okay
adult little girl now allowed to say

eyes, fine despite, fight, crime, define, decide, cried, in line, hide, hostile, analyze,

lack, unpack, tact, impact

determined, the little girl was so fucked up that she swore she would never have kids. her maternal parents would never see grandchildren, it’s the last say in the matter where she takes control of her life and has autonomy over her own body. As an adult, she is now allowed to say what she couldn’t say as a little girl, for that would have gotten her beaten. and now what she says is, who does that to a little girl? More angry now even as an adult, because now she sees her upbringing was not okay, what she suspected that as a little girl. She’s supposed to trust the ones who are supposed to make her feel safe. It’s weird to feel loved and not safe at the same time, always scared of getting hit. How is that okay? she wonders what a non abusive family must have felt like, and understands that’s just life and to get on with life, and don’t let the actions of others hold her back from anything. Literally scared of love. Children should feel love, not feel scared Even at the moment of getting beat in the bathtub, knowing that was crossing the line, and her tiny body held more common sense and instinctually knew?

her saving grace today is knowing that she was right when she was beaten in the tub that she just knew that it reflected on him... it was a moment that will never be forgotten. She is stuck with it

treating a child that way was not okay
adult little girl now allowed to say

because she didn’t have children, forbidden, done, million,
most impressive was to not pass on this abuse

3/15/25

6 1 4 5

Too [Em]young to be [C]left alone
while [G]all the daddies [D]come and go
[Em]forbidden told [C]not to sing
[G]nobody noticed she [D]stopped speaking

[Em]the beating in the bath [C]won’t forget
the [G]belt stole her [D]innocence
[Em]drowning her hopes of [C]dignity
[G]pools of tears held [D]silently

[chorus]
[C]just a little [G]girl
Who does that to a [C]little girl?
[C]a little [G]girl
[C]a little [G]girl
Who does [C]that to
a [D]little [G]girl?

[Em]all the crayons only [C]few are used
to [G]color her rainbows [D]black and blue
[Em]tiny mind big [C]thoughts don’t fit
in [G]to the size of the [D]innocent

keep [Em]quiet shhh every[C]thing is fine
stuffed it [G]back into the deep [D]of her mind
Can’t [Em]know what she won’t [C]think about
A [G]little girl [D]never came back [G]out

[chorus]

intrusion of her bath
gets, selects, collects, regrets, neglet, correct, THEFT

during her bath a belt [C]of leather
stole innocence away [Am]from her
drowning hopes of [Dm]dignity
intrusion made her silently [G]angry

the belt stole her innocence
poured herself out into the bath
drowning her hopes of dignity
a little girl beaten and wet

3/14/25

prepare a pitch to Nashville, how to fit a Nashville blueprint? Move to piano to set chord progressions for a definitive melody.

C Am Dm
Too young to be [C]left alone
while the daddies [Am]come and go
scolded and ordered [Dm]do not sing
nobody noticed she [G]stopped speaking

now she’s taking a bath punished [C]with the belt
stole her innocence the [Am]sting she felt
was drowning her hopes of [Dm]dignity
the intrusion left her bruised [G]and angry

[chorus]
[C]just a little girl
[Am]Who does that to a [Dm]little girl?
[G]
[C]a little girl

a full box of crayons barely used
coloring her rainbows black and blue
tiny mind with big thoughts don’t fit
in to the size of the innocent

keep quiet everything is fine
stuffed back into the deep of her mind
Can’t know what she won’t think about
A little girl never came back out

[chorus]

memories worse than the sting learning injustice life brings

ordered how to feel, she never outgrew untrue, undo, hue, withdrew, drew, threw, knew, true, who, into, through,
a full box of crayons but she drew

leather belt stole her [C]innocence
Poured herself out in [Am]to the bath
drowning her hopes of [Dm]dignity
a little girl left [G]bruised and wet

innocence stolen by a [C]leather belt
while taking a bath the [Am]water she felt
drowning her hopes of [Dm]dignity
that intrusion left her bruised [G]and angry

Too young and left alone while the daddies come and go
belt stole her innocence while in the bath
drowning hopes of dignity she’s beaten wet
being herself was not allowed told her personality was too loud
hushed and forbidden to sing nobody noticed she stopped speaking

[chorus]
she was just a little girl
Who does that to a 6 year old?
(instrument)
… a little girl

a full box of crayons but used few coloring rainbows black and blue
tiny mind with big thoughts don’t fit
in to the size of the innocent
keep quiet everything is fine stuffed back into the deep of her mind
Can’t know what she won’t think about A little girl never came back out

3/11/25

Chorus thoughts:
Who does that?! to a little girl
she was just a… little girl
(instrument)
just a… little girl

3/10/25

NSAI comments:

• There is no melody
• Great story, keep working on this story needs to be told
• Soften story just a touch so is not borderline pervert
• Develop the chorus
• Be careful to highlight meaningful words (high note)
• Maybe pauses in the last line of verse(s) for dramatic effect
• Consider writing with your native instrument
• interesting beat to such dark subject matter
• You are brave
• ADD 1 more verse of TRIUMPH
• wording suggestions:

the belt stole her innocence
poured herself out into the bath
drowning her hopes of dignity
a little girl beaten and wet
(I like: a little girl beaten while wet)

memories are worse than the sting
the injustice that life brings (too generic for me, spice up)

opens her mouth to just say NO

3/9/25

She was too young to be left alone
lost herself as daddies come and go
opens her mouth to say NO
a little girl wishes she was grown

being herself was not allowed
her personality was too loud
nobody noticed she stopped speaking
a little girl forbidden to sing
[chorus]
A Little Girl
A Little Girl

the belt slashed open her innocence
And She poured out into the bathtub
her insides turned out into the bathtub
drowning her crumbs of dignity
a little girl beaten wet and naked

tiny mind big thoughts don’t fit
into the size of the innocent
memories are worse than the sting
a little girls injustice life brings
[Chorus]

learn to keep quiet, beat into line
stuffed it back into the deep of her mind
Can’t know what she won’t think about
A little girl never came back out

3/8/25

She was too young to be left alone
lacked self identity as daddy’s come and go
opens her mouth to say don’t
a little girl wishes she was grown
A little girl, a little girl

being herself seemed not allowed
her personality was too loud
nobody noticed she didn’t speak for weeks
a little girl told to never sing
A little girl, a little girl

the belt slashed open her innocence
it poured out of her into that bathtub
drowning her crumbs of dignity
a little girl beaten wet and naked
A little girl, a little girl

tiny mind with big thoughts do not fit
into the size of the innocent
Pain from the memories are worse than the sting
a little girl faced injustice life can bring
A little girl, a little girl

learned to keep quiet, beat into line
she stuffed it back into the deep of her mind
no one can know things she won’t think about
A little girl never came back out
A little girl never came back out

what about (her insides turned out into the bathtub)

3/7/25

A little girl was just a little girl, felt on her own
she had no choice because Daddy’s come and go
lacking self identity as daddy’s come and go
ordered teaching what to think and how to feel and what to do
she never knew how much she hated you
unaware it taught her to be scared of you

wanting to be herself but a thumb never allowed
pressing down on top of her head her so personality won’t spill out
Speaking when spoken to but otherwise would not speak
and no one noticed when she quit talking for weeks

[chorus] autonomy
is too big a word
too big for
a little girl
I’m sorry
she never heard
this big word for
a little girl

Innocence slashed open by edge of belt
and who she was came pouring out into that bathtub
drowning crumbs of dignity she might of had
while beating her wet and naked

A tiny mind is left with big thoughts
who does that to a child?
Pain of the thoughts were worse than the sting
carried on her face injustice life can bring

[chorus]

she learned to keep quiet, beat into line
who she was stuffed back into the deep of her mind
nobody could notice things she didn’t think about
A little girl never came back out

3/7/25

The little girl was just a little girl, left to be on her own. Daddy’s come and go she had no other choice. ordered what to do what to think and how to feel she hated you. she quit talking one week, you didn’t even notice. Then she had to speak so she wouldn’t get beat. wants to be herself but that’s not allowed, like a great big thumb is keeping her head on a pressure cooker of a life so the personality doesn’t spill out. Innocence is slashed open by the edge of the belt, and who she was came pouring out into that tub drowning that last piece of dignity she had as she’s beaten wet and naked. A tiny mind is left with big thoughts, who does that to a child? Pain of the thoughts were worse than the sting, carried on her face the look of all the things. But she kept quiet, beat into a line, who she was stuffed back into deep inside. Nobody cared and nobody noticed she never came back out.