The little girl, she comes running home from school   She's lost her first public fight   She's so upset as she wipes away her tears   She can't concentrate on her homework that night      And finally when she gets her homework right   Her daddy knows that something's wrong   But decides to leave the questions until later on      And later on at the little girls request   That she go to bed early to rest   Like a weeping willow   Into her sleeping pillow she cries      The little girl is growing up   While her whole world, it is falling down   I wish this hurting, it could stop   But she's only learning, learning      Her daddy gets up late for work   He's got a cigarette   Hanging from the corner of his mouth   He's late, he's missed that train again   Oh, total shock      And finally when he gets to work   All his fears delivered with one blow   The boss says with a smile   "I'm sorry but you'll have to go"      The little girl is growing up   While his whole world, it is falling down   I wish this hurting, it could stop   But she's only learning, learning      The little girl is growing up   While her whole world, it is falling down   I wish this hurting it could stop   But she's only learning, learning      The little girl, she makes it to school   She meets up with a friend   They both pretend   They want to be the teachers pet again      And finally when she makes it home   She doesn't know what is wrong or right   Should she tell her mama   Or should she keep quiet      The little girl is growing up   While her whole world, it is falling down   I wish this hurting, it could stop   But she's only learning, learning      The little girl is growing up   While her whole world, it is falling down   I wish this hurting, it could stop   But she's only learning, learning      The little girl is growing up   While her whole world, it is falling down   I wish this hurting, it could stop   But she's only learning, learning      She's learning, learning   She's learning, learning   She's learning, learning   She's learning, learning      Growing up   Growing up   Growing up