A
Little something for my godson Elijah
G#m
And a little girl named Corin
A
G#m
A
Some say the blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice
G#m
I say the darker the flesh, then the deeper the roots (Oh)
A
I give a holla to my sisters on welfare
G#m
2Pac cares if don't nobody else care (Oh)
A
And, uh, I know they like to beat you down a lot
G#m
When you come around the block, brothers clown a lot
A
But please don't cry, dry your eyes, never let up
G#m
Forgive, but don't forget, girl, keep ya head up
A
And when he tells you you ain't nothin', don't believe him
G#m
And if he can't learn to love you, you should leave him
A
'Cause, sister, you don't need him
G#m
And I ain't tryin' to gas you up, I just call 'em how I see 'em (You don't need him)
A
You know what makes me unhappy? (What's that?)
G#m
When brothers make babies and leave a young mother to be a pappy (Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah)
A
And since we all came from a woman
G#m
Got our name from a woman and our game from a woman (Yeah, yeah)
A
I wonder why we take from our women
G#m
Why we rape our women, do we hate our women?
A
I think it's time to kill for our women
G#m
Time to heal our women, be real to our women
A
And if we don't, we'll have a race of babies
G#m
That will hate the ladies that make the babies (Oh, yeah-yeah)
A
And since a man can't make one
G#m
He has no right to tell a woman when and where to create one
A
So will the real men get up
G#m
I know you're fed up, ladies, but keep ya head up
A
(Keep ya head up) Ooh, child, things are gonna get easier
G#m
(Keep-keep ya head up) Ooh, child, things'll get brighter
A
(Oh-oh, keep ya head up) Ooh, child, things are gonna get easier
G#m
(Keep-keep ya head up) Ooh, child, things'll get brighter
A
Ayo, I remember Marvin Gaye used to sing to me
G#m
He had me feelin' like black was the thing to be
A
And suddenly the ghetto didn't seem so tough
G#m
And though we had it rough, we always had enough
A
I huffed and puffed about my curfew and broke the rules
G#m
Ran with the local crew and had a smoke or two
A
I realize Mama really paid the price
G#m
She nearly gave her life to raise me right (Oh, yeah-yeah)
A
And all I had to give her was my pipe dream
G#m
Of how I'd rock the mic and make it to the bright screen
A
I'm tryin' to make a dollar out of fifteen cents
G#m
It's hard to be legit and still pay your rent
A
And in the end, it seems I'm headin' for the pen'
G#m
I try to find my friends, but they're blowin' in the wind
A
Last night, my buddy lost his whole family
G#m
It's gonna take the man in me to conquer this insanity (Oh, no, no, no)
A
It seems the rain'll never let up
G#m
I try to keep my head up and still keep from gettin' wet up, huh
A
You know, it's funny, when it rains it pours
G#m
They got money for wars, but can't feed the poor
A
Said it ain't no hope for the youth
G#m
And the truth is it ain't no hope for the future
A
And then they wonder why we crazy, huh
G#m
I blame my mother for turnin' my brother into a crack baby
A
We ain't meant to survive 'cause it's a set-up
G#m
And even though you're fed up, huh, you got to keep ya head up
A
(Keep ya head up) Ooh, child, things are gonna get easier
G#m
(Keep-keep ya head up) Ooh, child, things'll get brighter
A
(Oh-oh, keep ya head up) Ooh, child, things are gonna get easier
G#m
(Keep-keep ya head up) Ooh, child, things'll get brighter
A
And, uh, to all the ladies havin' babies on they own
G#m
I know it's kinda rough and you're feelin' all alone
A
Daddy's long gone and he left you by your lonesome
G#m
Thank the Lord for my kids even if nobody else don't want 'em
A
'Cause I think we can make it, in fact, I'm sure
G#m
And if you fall, stand tall and come back for more (Oh-oh)
A
'Cause ain't nothin' worse than when your son
G#m
Wants to know why his daddy don't love him no mo'
A
You can't complain, you was dealt this hell of a hand
G#m
Without a man, feelin' helpless (I know you were)
A
Because there's too many things for you to deal with
G#m
Dyin' inside, but outside you're lookin' fearless
A
While the tears is rollin' down your cheeks
G#m
You're steady hopin' things don't all fall this week (Yeah)
A
'Cause if it did, you couldn't take it (Yeah)
G#m
And don't blame me, I was given this world, I didn't make it (Oh, yeah)
A
And now my son's gettin' older and older
G#m
And cold from havin' the world on his shoulders
A
While the rich kids is drivin' Benz
G#m
I'm still tryin' to hold on to survivin' friends (Oh, yeah)
A
And it's crazy, it seems it'll never let up
G#m
But, huh, please, you got to keep your head up