This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Gramma this one's for you (stay strong)
(Chorus)
He's strong!
Mama Mama Mama Mama I couldn't say "No"
So strong!
Got sick and tired of seein' brothers being treated ill
He's strong!
They say to chill, they say my homey's not available
Stay strong!
I hear Mama they got him working on tha Payroll
She's strong!
Mama Mama Mama Mama I couldn't say "No"
So strong!
Got sick and tired of seein' sistas being created ill
She's Strong!
They say to chill, they say my homegirl's not available
Stay strong!
I hear Mama they got her workin' on tha Payroll
At 21 the brother "Smooth" he got a record deal
been working hard been writin' songs about the things he feels
he says it's real, 'cause I got skills, but I got bills
my deck is stacked, if I could only get my shit on wax
when it was ripe he took his tape up to the rec execs
they smoked cigars and rolled their eye's at him behind their specs
your Shit is phat but I don't hear it in the format Jack
what's all this black crap check page twenty one of your contract
(Chorus)
A friend of mine Roberta she got a job at the post office
she was college edjamacated but got fired up at the law office
I'm all alone two kids at home, I need a job just any job
so I can get back on my feet like Tina "T"(urner)
the boss came up to her said, "why don't you come home with me"
I'd like to see you take off your clothes for me
she said "No way man!"
he said "You don't understand"
"You lose your life, you lose your job if you don't do this shift!"
(Chorus)
I met a black man who became a police officer
officer, officer, officer, officer, officer, overseer
he tried to tell me it was the only job available
either rob or join the mob 'cause I'm not salable
one night he went out on an undercover sting-ing
bought some smack tried to break the heroin ring-ring
Two cops white cops saw juggling goin' down
they spilled his brain like homey the fuckin' clown
He's gone!
Mama Mama Mama Mama I couldn't say no
got sick and tired of seein' people bein' treated ill
picked up my nines, walked up from behind
tapped two of them on the neck so I could meet their eyes direct
Pom! Pom!
I didn't do it for tha payroll
(Chorus)
(Chorus)
He's strong!
Mama Mama Mama Mama I couldn't say "No"
So strong!
Got sick and tired of seein' brothers being treated ill
He's strong!
They say to chill, they say my homey's not available
Stay strong!
I hear Mama they got him working on tha Payroll
She's strong!
Mama Mama Mama Mama I couldn't say "No"
So strong!
Got sick and tired of seein' sistas being created ill
She's Strong!
They say to chill, they say my homegirl's not available
Stay strong!
I hear Mama they got her workin' on tha Payroll
At 21 the brother "Smooth" he got a record deal
been working hard been writin' songs about the things he feels
he says it's real, 'cause I got skills, but I got bills
my deck is stacked, if I could only get my shit on wax
when it was ripe he took his tape up to the rec execs
they smoked cigars and rolled their eye's at him behind their specs
your Shit is phat but I don't hear it in the format Jack
what's all this black crap check page twenty one of your contract
(Chorus)
A friend of mine Roberta she got a job at the post office
she was college edjamacated but got fired up at the law office
I'm all alone two kids at home, I need a job just any job
so I can get back on my feet like Tina "T"(urner)
the boss came up to her said, "why don't you come home with me"
I'd like to see you take off your clothes for me
she said "No way man!"
he said "You don't understand"
"You lose your life, you lose your job if you don't do this shift!"
(Chorus)
I met a black man who became a police officer
officer, officer, officer, officer, officer, overseer
he tried to tell me it was the only job available
either rob or join the mob 'cause I'm not salable
one night he went out on an undercover sting-ing
bought some smack tried to break the heroin ring-ring
Two cops white cops saw juggling goin' down
they spilled his brain like homey the fuckin' clown
He's gone!
Mama Mama Mama Mama I couldn't say no
got sick and tired of seein' people bein' treated ill
picked up my nines, walked up from behind
tapped two of them on the neck so I could meet their eyes direct
Pom! Pom!
I didn't do it for tha payroll
(Chorus)
Lyrics submitted by Akhenaton
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