The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Aw
Mm, yeah (aw)
All my life, been po'
But it really don't matter no mo'
And they wonder why we act this way
Nappy Boys gon' be okay
All my life, been po'
But it really don't matter no mo'
And they wonder why we act this way
Nappy Roots gon' be okay, okay
Came in the game, plain, you see
Average man when the rest was ashamed to be
Nappy head and all, ain't no changin' me
Ooh-oh-oh-ooh-oh-oh
So rough it was, downright wrong, I tell ya
Nobody never gave us nothin', the tough time, itmade us somethin'
Different stretch of road, new somethin to see
Every state on the map, a different somethin' to eat
Daps and handshakes, it meant nothin' for real
Everybody makin a killin', man, showin' no feelings
Walk it off, collectin' pay is the way of the world
Can't change it, so I guess I'm gon' pray for the world
Sometimes I ask myself, was I made for the world?
I scream this to you, and I say it to the world
Nappy then, Nappy now, Nappy for a bit
Knee-deep, head over heels in this country shit
All my life, been po'
But it really don't matter no mo'
And they wonder why we act this way
Nappy Boys gon' be okay
All my life, been po'
But it really don't matter no mo'
And they wonder why we act this way
Nappy Roots gon' be okay, okay
Even though I pictured better days
I'm thankful for the chance I got to say, "Amen"
The Lord done blessed me with his grace, I wish this day would never end
We represent the slums, where we from, we feel they bump
Fallin' short off on these presidents, and hard times they go and come
Some take up off, without the chance to make it at all
Who woulda thought Skinny'd be the one that's makin' this call
Lord, help me out, tell me where I went wrong
I'm tryna find a righteous path, although it's never been long
I gotta do it for my sons, they tellin' me, "Daddy be strong"
We gon' make it through these hard times, even though they go and they come
You're absolutely right, for somethin' happened to me on last Tuesday night
It's plain as day, man, they, with this World Trade
Naw, brave ain't the word I'm lookin' for, yeah
Better make it hope, when nothin seems to matter
That's when, see, everything can go any which way
They got me fooled, see the Henny with the J
Front porch, chillin' broke, country folk, I'm Nappy with my ways, yo
All my life, been po'
But it really don't matter no mo'
And they wonder why we act this way
Nappy Boys gon' be okay (we're gonna be okay)
All my life, been po'
But it really don't matter no mo'
And they wonder why we act this way
Nappy Roots gon' be okay, okay
It's a blessin' we woke up this mornin'
All my colored folk stressin', come let's join hands
Got to cope with the pressures of being po' man
Papa taught me an order, survive for no man
Nappy blossomed from the roots, henceforth we gon' stand
Prophit grew from a juvenile to a grown man
You gotta take responsibility for your own man
Zonin', two blunts a mornin', by sunrise sometimes
I love to hear my woman moanin', it's on again
Damn, I hope you play this song again
The soul cleansin', the melody just rev my engine
Not a lot of things but usually just appendin', but lately
Been searchin' for Benjamins, saw my folks locked in the tenements
And it don't make any sense (why?) Children in sentencin'
Broadcastin' from the slums, that's why I'm writin' these sentences
So lower my income (why?) Go ahead, finish it
All my life, been po'
But it really don't matter no mo'
And they wonder why we act this way
Nappy Boys gon' be okay
All my life, been po'
But it really don't matter no mo'
And they wonder why we act this way
Nappy Roots gon' be okay, okay (okay, okay, okay)
Mm, yeah (aw)
All my life, been po'
But it really don't matter no mo'
And they wonder why we act this way
Nappy Boys gon' be okay
All my life, been po'
But it really don't matter no mo'
And they wonder why we act this way
Nappy Roots gon' be okay, okay
Came in the game, plain, you see
Average man when the rest was ashamed to be
Nappy head and all, ain't no changin' me
Ooh-oh-oh-ooh-oh-oh
So rough it was, downright wrong, I tell ya
Nobody never gave us nothin', the tough time, itmade us somethin'
Different stretch of road, new somethin to see
Every state on the map, a different somethin' to eat
Daps and handshakes, it meant nothin' for real
Everybody makin a killin', man, showin' no feelings
Walk it off, collectin' pay is the way of the world
Can't change it, so I guess I'm gon' pray for the world
Sometimes I ask myself, was I made for the world?
I scream this to you, and I say it to the world
Nappy then, Nappy now, Nappy for a bit
Knee-deep, head over heels in this country shit
All my life, been po'
But it really don't matter no mo'
And they wonder why we act this way
Nappy Boys gon' be okay
All my life, been po'
But it really don't matter no mo'
And they wonder why we act this way
Nappy Roots gon' be okay, okay
Even though I pictured better days
I'm thankful for the chance I got to say, "Amen"
The Lord done blessed me with his grace, I wish this day would never end
We represent the slums, where we from, we feel they bump
Fallin' short off on these presidents, and hard times they go and come
Some take up off, without the chance to make it at all
Who woulda thought Skinny'd be the one that's makin' this call
Lord, help me out, tell me where I went wrong
I'm tryna find a righteous path, although it's never been long
I gotta do it for my sons, they tellin' me, "Daddy be strong"
We gon' make it through these hard times, even though they go and they come
You're absolutely right, for somethin' happened to me on last Tuesday night
It's plain as day, man, they, with this World Trade
Naw, brave ain't the word I'm lookin' for, yeah
Better make it hope, when nothin seems to matter
That's when, see, everything can go any which way
They got me fooled, see the Henny with the J
Front porch, chillin' broke, country folk, I'm Nappy with my ways, yo
All my life, been po'
But it really don't matter no mo'
And they wonder why we act this way
Nappy Boys gon' be okay (we're gonna be okay)
All my life, been po'
But it really don't matter no mo'
And they wonder why we act this way
Nappy Roots gon' be okay, okay
It's a blessin' we woke up this mornin'
All my colored folk stressin', come let's join hands
Got to cope with the pressures of being po' man
Papa taught me an order, survive for no man
Nappy blossomed from the roots, henceforth we gon' stand
Prophit grew from a juvenile to a grown man
You gotta take responsibility for your own man
Zonin', two blunts a mornin', by sunrise sometimes
I love to hear my woman moanin', it's on again
Damn, I hope you play this song again
The soul cleansin', the melody just rev my engine
Not a lot of things but usually just appendin', but lately
Been searchin' for Benjamins, saw my folks locked in the tenements
And it don't make any sense (why?) Children in sentencin'
Broadcastin' from the slums, that's why I'm writin' these sentences
So lower my income (why?) Go ahead, finish it
All my life, been po'
But it really don't matter no mo'
And they wonder why we act this way
Nappy Boys gon' be okay
All my life, been po'
But it really don't matter no mo'
And they wonder why we act this way
Nappy Roots gon' be okay, okay (okay, okay, okay)
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