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THE MAN I AM
VERSE 1
THERE’S A LOT OF YOUNG ONES WHO HAVE IT HARD GROWIN UP
NEVER GET LOVE FROM THE ONE WHO SHARE THEY BLOOD
WHO’S HEART GETS REPEATEDLY STABBED BY PAINS KNIFE
CAUSE THEY NEVER SEEN THEIR FATHER ONE DAY IN THEY LIFE
OR EVEN WORSE HE DENIES YOU’RE HIS SOLDIER OR HIS GEM
EVEN THOUGH YOU HAPPEN TO BE THE SPITTING IMAGE OF HIM
BIRTHDAYS LONELY NO CARDS OR GIFTS
NO PRESENTS UNDER THE TREE FROM DAD FOR CHRISTMAS
NO CALLS TALKIN ABOUT HOW MUCH HE MISS
YOU FEEL LIKE TO YOUR FATHER YOU DON’T EVEN EXIST
AND ALL THE LOVE FROM YOUR MOM CAN’T FILL THE HOLE IN YOUR SOUL
WON’T LET GO EVEN IN THE DAYS WHEN YOUR OLD
UNDERSTAND YOUR BIOLOGICAL AIN’T A REAL MAN
THAT’S WHY I THANK GOD THAT MY POPS NEVER RAN
FROM HIS RESPONSIBILITY, THAT MEANING ME
SURVIVED 25 YEARS WITH THE HELP OF J.C.
WITH ALL THE UPS AND DOWNS AND ROCKS AND STUFF, DAD I CAN’T LIE
WE DIDN’T ALWAYS SEE EYE TO EYE
LIKE MY GIRLFRIEND IN HIGH SCHOOL, THE CLICK I HUNG WITH
SMOKIN PHILLY BLUNTS AND DRINKIN TILL I WAS SICK
YOU ONLY KNEW HOW TO DO THE BEST JOB YOU COULD DO
CAUSE YOUR POPS REALLY WASN’T MUCH OF A FATHER TO YOU
BUT I KNEW YOU LOVED ME WHEN I CAME TO YOUR HOME
AND TOLD YOU I WAS GONNA HAVE A CHILD OF MY OWN
YOU CRIED TEARS OF JOY AND GAVE ME A HUG
AND TOLD ME TEACH HIM BOUT GOD AND SHOW HIM ALL YOUR LOVE
SO FOR ALL THOSE DOUBLE SHIFTS YOU WORKED BACK TO BACK
ME AND S.O.L. WE DEDICATE THIS TRACK
(CHORUS)
I’M THE MAN I AM CAUSE YOU WERE MAN ENOUGH TO SHOW ME
HOW TO KEEP IT REAL AND MY EYES UPON THE ONLY (THE ONE AND ONLY GOD)
YOU TOLD ME HE WILL LOVE YOU SON WHEN NOBODY ELSE WILL BOTHER
I’M THE MAN I AM BECAUSE YOU ARE MY FATHER
VERSE 2
AS I LOOK BACK I SAY IT WAS WORTH IT ALL
I WAS 19 YEARS OLD WHEN I GOT THE CALL YEAH
GOIN BACK IN THE FALL TO PLAY BALL
BUT HOW DID I KNOW THAT YOU WOULD CHANGE IT ALL
FACED WITH THE DECISION A LOT OF YOUNG MEN TODAY
SHOULD I STAY, OR TURN MY BACK AND WALK AWAY
FROM THIS PRETTY YOUNG THING WOULD MY LIFE BE DISTORTED
COULD I AFFORD IT MAYBE I SHOULD ABORT IT, MAYBE NOT
IT NEVER ENTERED MY THOUGHTS
AND THANK GOD TO THIS DAY CAUSE OF THE JOY YOU BROUGHT IN MY LIFE
GOIN HOME WITHOUT YOU EVERY NIGHT AIN’T IT A SHAME
YOU WASN’T EVEN BORN WITH MY LAST NAME
BUT THINGS CHANGED, AT LEAST I THOUGHT THEY DID
SO WE GOT MARRIED AND HAD ANOTHER KID
BUT THINGS WENT BACK TO THE WAY THEY DID
AIN’T NO TELLIN, HOW THINGS WOULD END UP
IT WAS ALL OVERWHELMING, BROKE UP, SPLIT UP, LIVIN LIFE SEPARATED
BOUT TO BE 23 DIVORCED AND FRUSTRATED
FROM THE TIMES I WANNA TAKE MY LIFE
FROM THE TIMES I CAME OVER AND I CRIED ALL NIGHT ( I KNOW YOU CARED)
YOU SAID SON JUST PAY THE PRICE, WHATEVER IT TAKES
YOU GAVE ME FATHERLY ADVICE
THAT’S WHY I ALWAYS TELL MY KIDS ONE DAY YOU TOLD ME TRUE
I JUST PRAYED AND I HUGGED YOU
I STAYED CAUSE I LOVED YOU
(CHORUS)
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