Manchild

(Poppa Wu) I'm a manchild born in the promised land

Captain of my destiny, guidin my faith through the turbulence of life

See, in order to be who you are, you've got to know who you are

In order to get to where you want to go

You've got to know from where you came

Say, it was Malcolm X who said

"A man who doesn't have nothing to stand up for

Will fall for any god damn thing!"

(Shyheim) Damn, Woke up again...

Down my face drop tears, it's like nobody cares

I swear, life ain't fair, sometimes I wanna disappear

Only Blahzay Blah', I got mad gray hairs, I'm a young old man

What part of "Shit Iz Real" don't you understand?

Twin got murdered, caught one to the temple

You ain't been what I been through, Can It Be All So Simple?

I got bad nerves, it's absurd, I'm disturbed

So, I suggest you watch the words that you blurb

Out your mouth, or it'll be a shoot out

I leave you stretched out, I'm thugged, inside and out

And it ain't by choice

I'm screaming out loud for love (AHHHH!)

Do anybody hear my voice?

Pardon the noise, I'm just a black ghetto boy

Went through the rain and pain, where's the sunshine and joy?

I can't seem to find it, trapped in the black cloud

Watching my life go down, to hide the suffering, I smile

(Tekitha)Running these streets can be so

Trying these trying times

Manchild in the promised land

Who of you will understand?

Running these streets can be so

Trying these trying times

Manchild in the promised land, hey-ay...

(Shyheim)My aunt died from AIDS, I watched her deteriorate

She told me fucking wit drugs, was her biggest mistake

Put my moms on to it, sticking needles in her veins

Being sons of addicts, yo, me and Cane the same

We packed bags at Pathmark, we both humped Tamika

We used to go to the pool, just to steal kid's sneakers

Rocked cut-off beepers, wore old clothes for Easter

Shit was so real, we had to split a slice of pizza

I was born at six months, damn, premature

My moms birthed a thug like, Afeni Shakur

I'm surprised I ain't crazy, from the bug shit I saw

I caught my mother buying crack on the first floor, before

I never thought I'd be in a cell, smoking the Newport

With all sorts of thoughts, running through my mind

Know I ain't leaving, caught, D.A. talkin jail time

I glanced at my mom's eyes, she looking like she wanna cry

(Tekitha) Running these streets can be so

Trying these trying times

Manchild in the promised land

Who of you will understand?

Running these streets can be so

Trying these trying times

Manchild in the promised land, hey-ay...

(Shyheim)They say I'm an accident waiting to happen, G

Miss Ann from the first floor said she gon' pray for me

She had a bad dream, that they, murdered me

I said, "Miss, truthfully, I don't believe in dreams"

Hope is miles away, from where I stay

Who knows the way? Pssshhh... shit, I'd pay

For the directions? My whole family's in correction

Fake friends half-stepping, I'm stressing, answer question

Can I trust you? Uh-huh, then I love you

Yea, if not, straight up and down, fuck you

Bottom line, real people do real things

Play your position... (running these streets can be so...)

You see, its like this

You've got to plan your work and work your plan

Cause seeing who fails the plan, plans the fail

Execute your strategy and seize your goal

Cause see, persistence overcomes, resistance, peace

Trying these trying times

Manchild in the promised land, hey-ay...

Running these streets can be so

Trying these trying times

Manchild in the promised land

Who of you will understand?

(fades...)