WHAT WOULD THE CHILDREN THINK         
(words and music by Rick Springfield)          

She wakes up in the morning with the new sunrise 
Looks at her husband sleeping still 
Inside she cries
She makes the children breakfast 
Gets them on their way 
Watching them through the window 
She prepares to face another day

Then her husband tells her 
That he won't be home 'til late 
There's so much work he'll have to stay behind
But she knows it isn't work that's on his mind 
But still he'd never leave her

Cause what would the children think 
Where would the children go 
What would the children do 
If they knew the way it was 
But they'll never learn because 
What would the children think 
Where would the children go

At the gate she kisses him 
And watches him walk 
Hoping this small charade 
Will stop the neighbors talk

She turns to hide a tear 
Inside her gilded cage 
She cries for the love she could not hold 
And lost to someone half her age

Then her pride and breakin' heart 
Tell her to run away 
But she values what she's got a little more 
Two kids, one 9 and one nearly 4 
And she would never leave them cause

What would the children think 
Where would the children go 
What would the children do 
If they knew the way it was 
But they'll never learn because 
What would the children think 
Where would the children go

What would the children think 
Where would the children go 
What would the children do
Where would the children go

What would the children think 
Where would the children go 
What would the children do
Where would the children go....

(total playing time: 3:41 )

Song Facts: Though not widely recognized as a Rick Springfield song, What Would The Children Think actually hit the American charts on November 25, 1972, remained there for four weeks and hit as high as 70 on the Pop Album Charts. It appears on Beginnings and Anthology.

Rick performed this song on his American television debut on the Sonny and Cher show.

Try as I might, it's going to be hard not making this one too personal. My apologies in advance if I go off on a tangent here, I will try to stick to JUST the song. It's difficult, because I witnessed this song from the children's point of view. My case was a little different because my father's mistress was alcohol, but my mother is very much the woman in this song. "Looks at her husband sleeping still, inside she cries. She makes the children breakfast gets them on their way.....she prepares to face another day" She wouldn't leave my father, because of the children. I heard her tell many people that many times. She never knew we (her children) knew. We never told her it would've been okay, either.

This was so very much the mentality of the '60s and '70s, people just didn't get divorced as much as nowadays. "What would the children think? Where would the children go?" There was no such thing as step-parents, or half-siblings. I too wonder where Rick got his inspiration from in this song. It rings so true.

For years, my mother thought our family situation was hidden inside our home. Naturally, the neighbors knew. "Hoping this small charade will stop the neighbors talk." What I always wondered was why, if they knew what was happening they didn't try to help us. Why none of the other wives would encourage my mother to leave. But of course they didn't, because "what would the children do?" Heck, we would've probably had a better childhood, for one.

"Then her pride and breakin' heart tell her to run away" Many times, as the years dragged on and nothing changed, my mother would tell us to pack. We would, hopeful that this would be it, he would be out of our lives....and then we wouldn't go anywhere. She couldn't leave him. She wouldn't break up our family.

I remember the first time I listened to this song. I got goosebumps. I cried. I thought, "How does he know?". This song existed 15 years before I heard it, but I heard it right at the time in my life that I needed to. I was 18, and leaving the hell hole I had grew up in and was very angry at both of my parents most of the time. It sort of helped me understand then, why my mother stayed - although it did not bring me any relief. I too, wish Rick would write an updated version of this song, maybe this time the woman would be someone strong, who wouldn't care that the neighbors talked, and knew that the kids would be all right. -  Michelle P.

I've been listening to this song a lot.  I've really come to like it and appreciate it.  I am amazed at the perspective he took on this song. He's such a young guy, yet comes at it from the woman's point of view, and even a little from the children's point of view, but not at all from the man's point of view.

The "small charade" and the "neighbors" reminded me a little of Veronica's head...

Jump ahead, 30 years later, and we get Faithful... totally from the man's point of view, undertone of blame toward the woman...and what about the kids?  What happened in 30 years...oh, I know...life happened. - rlh