You are appreciated...
When i was young, me and my mama had beef
17 years old kicked out on tha streets
though back in tha time, i never thought iand'd see her face
ainand't a woman alive that can take my mommaand's place
suspended from school, scared ta go home
i was a fool with tha big boys breaking all tha rules
shed tears with my baby sister
over tha years we wuz poorer than tha other little kids
and even though we had different daddies
tha same drama when things went wrong we blamed mama
i reminised on tha stress i caused, it wuz hell
huggand'en on my mama from a jail cell
and whoand'ed think in elementary, heeeey iand'd see tha penitentiary
one day
running from tha police, thatand's right
momma catch me--put a whoopand'en to my backside
and even as a crack fiend mama,
ya always was a black queen mama
i finally understand for a woman
it ainand't easy--trying ta raise a man
ya always wuz commited, a poor single mother on welfare,
tell me how ya did it
thereand's no way i can pay ya back
but tha plan is ta show ya that i understand.
you are appreciated......
Chorus
laaaaady, donand't cha know we luv ya
sweeeet laaaady, place no one above ya
sweeeet laaaady, donand't cha know we luv ya
Ainand't nobody tell us it wuz fair
no luv for my daddy, cause tha coward wuznand't there
he passed away and i didnand't cry
cause my anger, wouldnand't let me feel for a stranger
they say iand'm wrong and iand'm heartless
but all along i wuz looking for a father--he wuz gone
i hung around with tha thugand's and even though they sold drugs
they showed a young brother luv
i moved out and started really hangand'in
i needed money of my own so i started slangand'in
i ainand't guilty cause, even though i sell rocks
it feels good, putting money in your mailbox
i love paying rent when tha rents due
i hope ya got tha diamond necklace that i sent to you
cause when i wuz low, you was there for me
ya never left me alone, cause ya cared for me
and i can see ya coming home after work late
ya in tha kitchen trying ta fix us a hot plate
just working with tha scraps you wuz given
and mama made miracles every thanksgiving
but now tha road got rough, your alone
trying ta raise two bad kids on your own
and thereand's no way i can pay ya back
but my plan is ta show ya that i understand
you are appreciated.....
Chorus
laaaaady, donand't cha know we luv ya
sweeeet laaaady, place no one above ya
sweeeet laaaady, donand't cha know we luv ya
Pour out some liquor and i remenise
cause through tha drama, i can always depend on my mama
and when it seems that iand'm hopeless
you say tha words that can get me back in focus
when i wuz sick as a little kid
ta keep me happy theres no limit to tha things ya did
and all my childhood memories
are full of all tha sweet things ya did for me
and even though i act craaaazy
i got ta thank tha lord that ya maaaade me
there are no words that can express how i feel
ya never kept a secret, always stayed real
and i appreciate how ya raised me
and all tha extra love that ya gave me
i wish i could take tha pain away
if you can make it through tha night, thereand's a brighter day
everythingand'll be alright if ya hold on
itand's a struggle
everyday gotta roll on
and thereand's no way i can pay ya back
but my plan is ta show ya that i understand
you are appreciated.......
Chorus
laaaaady, donand't cha know we luv ya
sweeeet laaaady, place no one above ya
sweeeet laaaady, donand't cha know we luv ya, sweeeet laaaady
Laaaady...[fades]...laaaady
