::Dear Mama
You are appreciated
Verse One: 2Pac
When I was young me and my mama had beef
Seventeen years old kicked out on the streets
Though back at the time, I never thought I'd see her face
Ain't a woman alive that could take my mama's place
Suspended from school; and scared to go home, I was a fool
with the big boys, breakin all the rules
I shed tears with my baby sister
Over the years we was poorer than the other little kids
And even though we had different daddy's, the same drama
When things went wrong we'd blame mama
I reminice on the stress I caused, it was hell
Huggin on my mama from a jail cell
And who'd think in elementary?
Heeey! I see the penitentiary, one day
And runnin from the police, that's right
Mama catch me, put a whoopin to my backside
And even as a crack fiend, mama
You always was a black queen, mama
I finally understand
for a woman it ain't easy tryin to raise a man
You always was committed
A poor single mother on welfare, tell me how ya did it
There's no way I can pay you back
But the plan is to show you that I understand
You are appreciated
Chorus: Reggie Green & "Sweet Franklin" w/ 2Pac *
Lady...
Don't cha know we love ya? Sweet lady
Dear mama
Place no one above ya, sweet lady
You are appreciated
Don't cha know we love ya?
* second and third chorus, "And dear mama" instead of "Dear mama"
Verse Two: 2Pac
Now ain't nobody tell us it was fair
No love from my daddy cause the coward wasn't there
He passed away and I didn't cry, cause my anger
wouldn't let me feel for a stranger
They say I'm wrong and I'm heartless, but all along
I was lookin for a father he was gone
I hung around with the Thugs, and even though they sold drugs
They showed a young brother love
I moved out and started really hangin
I needed money of my own so I started slangin
I ain't guilty cause, even though I sell rocks
It feels good puttin money in your mailbox
I love payin rent when the rent's due
I hope ya got the diamond necklace that I sent to you
Cause when I was low you was there for me
And never left me alone because you cared for me
And I could see you comin home after work late
You're in the kitchen tryin to fix us a hot plate
Ya just workin with the scraps you was given
And mama made miracles every Thanksgivin
But now the road got rough, you're alone
You're tryin to raise two bad kids on your own
And there's no way I can pay you back
But my plan is to show you that I understand
You are appreciated
Chorus
Verse Three: 2Pac
Pour out some liquor and I reminsce, cause through the drama
I can always depend on my mama
And when it seems that I'm hopeless
You say the words that can get me back in focus
When I was sick as a little kid
To keep me happy there's no limit to the things you did
And all my childhood memories
Are full of all the sweet things you did for me
And even though I act craaazy
I gotta thank the Lord that you made me
There are no words that can express how I feel
You never kept a secret, always stayed real
And I appreciate, how you raised me
And all the extra love that you gave me
I wish I could take the pain away
If you can make it through the night there's a brighter day
Everything will be alright if ya hold on
It's a struggle everyday, gotta roll on
And there's no way I can pay you back
But my plan is to show you that I understand
You are appreciated
Chorus
Sweet lady
And dear mama
Dear mama
Lady (3X)
::Changes
-1-
come on come on
i see no changes wake up in the morning and i ask myself
is life worth living should i blast myself?
i'm tired of bein' poor & even worse i'm black
my stomach hurts so i'm lookin' for a purse to snatch
cops give a damn about a negro
pull the trigger kill a nigga he's a hero
give the crack to the kids who the hell cares
one less ugly mouth on the welfare
first ship 'em dope & let 'em deal the brothers
give 'em guns step back watch 'em kill each other
it's time to fight back that's what huey said
2 shots in the dark now huey's dead
i got love for my brother but we can never go nowhere
unless we share with each other
we gotta start makin' changes
learn to see me as a brother instead of 2 distant strangers
and that's how it's supposed to be
how can the devil take a brother if he's close to me?
i'd love to go back to when we played as kids
but things changed, and that's the way it is
bridge
come on come on
that's just the way it is
things'll never be the same
that's just the way it is
aww yeah
repeat
-2-
i see no changes all i see is racist faces
misplaced hate makes disgrace to races
we under i wonder what it takes to make this
one better place, let's erase the wasted
take the evil out the people they'll be acting right
'cause both black and white is smokin' crack tonight
and only time we chill is when we kill each other
it takes skill to be real, time to heal each other
and although it seems heaven sent
we ain't ready, to see a black president, uhh
it ain't a secret don't conceal the fact
the penitentiary's packed, and it's filled with blacks
but some things will never change
try to show another way but you stayin' in the dope game
now tell me what's a mother to do
bein' real don't appeal to the brother in you
you gotta operate the easy way
"i made a g today" but you made it in a sleazy way
sellin' crack to the kid. " i gotta get paid,"
well hey, well that's the way it is
bridge
talking:
we gotta make a change...
it's time for us as a people to start makin' some changes.
let's change the way we eat, let's change the way we live
and let's change the way we treat each other.
you see the old way wasn't working so it's on us to do
what we gotta do, to survive.
-3-
and still i see no changes can't a brother get a little peace
it's war on the streets & the war in the middle east
instead of war on poverty they got a war on drugs
so the police can bother me
and i ain't never did a crime i ain't have to do
but now i'm back with the blacks givin' it back to you
don't let 'em jack you up, back you up,
crack you up and pimp slap you up
you gotta learn to hold ya own
they get jealous when they see ya with ya mobile phone
but tell the cops they can't touch this
i don't trust this when they try to rush i bust this
that's the sound of my tool you say it ain't cool
my mama didn't raise no fool
and as long as i stay black i gotta stay strapped
& i never get to lay back
'cause i always got to worry 'bout the pay backs
some buck that i roughed up way back
comin' back after all these years
rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat that's the way it is uhh
bridge 'til fade