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He was the oldest of 3, |
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Lil' sis and a little brother. |
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Same old song, raise by a single mother. |
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His schoolin' is third rate. |
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Only in second but he should be in 3rd grade. |
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Or was it 4th? Can't remember it escapes me. |
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Didn't have a clue that his little life was crazy. |
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All I knew, was in class |
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He would spaz! |
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Could sit for a minute. |
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Throw a fit before ya' finish. |
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Wanted the best for him |
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And I was tough on him |
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Until my boss told me the deal. |
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His momma worked hard! |
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Scooped the kids straight from her job |
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And would black out soon as they got home. |
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No spouse. |
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He was the little man of the house. |
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Fix'em dinner and put'em to bed on his own. |
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How? |
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So in school, when he would act wild, |
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It's because it's the only he had to be a child. |
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Wow. |
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Boy... with... no... |
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Name |
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I once knew this youngin, I forget was his name was. |
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He was a lil' playa, |
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Some say a trouble maker, |
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'Cause he would act a fool. |
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Came to see me after school. |
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Said, he wanna change. |
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Told him that it's never out of range, |
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Long as you ain't scared to work for it. |
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Fast forward, |
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He was in a gang fight |
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Over something petty, it ain't right. |
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But he came clean when he came to me. |
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So I tried to get his folks to let him stay with me |
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At the center. |
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Said I could work with'em, help to prevent a |
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Situation like this from happening again. But, |
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His stepdad wasn't trying to hear me at all. |
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He was fed up and said that it was the last straw. |
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Tried to check up on'em they would return my call. |
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What's that about?! |
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When we spoke, man, we had it out. |
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'Cause they told me that they him committed. |
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Hurt me to my soul, man, I have to admit it. Damn. |
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It feels like the world's against you. |
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And I can't imagine the hell you been through. |
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When they put you down, |
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Don't give up! |
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If they knock you down, |
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Then you gotta get up, get up! |
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I struggle to remember your name, |
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But just know I never will forget your pain! |
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When they put you down, |
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Don't give up! |
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If they knock you down, |
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Then you gotta get up, get up, get up... |
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Ain't too many days I meet... |
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A young man, that's born with HIV. |
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I was there speaking on diversity and poetry. |
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But, you seemed to be more into art. |
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Asked you to write what you felt, didn't know where to start. |
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So, you chose to draw from the heart. |
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You were a young man in the body of a child. |
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Who wouldn't let a disease rob you of your smile. |
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Nowadays, that type of courage is rare. |
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The words that you hear |
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Can never compare... |
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To the struggle you face, day in and day out. |
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Every single day, pray-in' for a way out! |
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See there's one too many youth like the 3 I spoke on. |
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No one cuttin' slack but fightin' to hold on. |
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Maintain youngin's in these troublin' times. |
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And I care because your struggle is mine. One love! |
