From the Bible to the popular song
⁠There's one theme that we find right along.
⁠Of all ideals they hail as good
⁠The most sublime is Motherhood.
⁠There was a man, though, who, it seems,
⁠Once carried this ideal to extremes.
⁠He loved his mother and she loved him,
⁠And yet his story is rather grim:

There once was a man named Oedipus Rex.
You may have heard about his odd complex.
His name appears in Freud's index,
'Cause he loved his mother.

His rivals used to say quite a bit
That as a monarch he was most unfit,
But still and all they had to admit
That he loved his mother.

⁠Yes, he loved his mother
⁠Like no other,
⁠His daughter was his sister, and his son was his brother.
⁠One thing on which you can depend is:
⁠He sure knew who a boy's best friend is.

When he found what he had done,
He tore his eyes out one by one.
A tragic end for a loyal son
Who loved his mother.

So be sweet and kind to mother, now and then have a chat,
Buy her candy or some flowers or a brand new hat,
But maybe you had better let it go at that,
Or you may find yourself with a quite complex complex,
And you may end up like Oedipus ---
I'd rather marry a duck-billed pledipus
Than end up like old Oedipus Rex.