[Intro: 2Pac] ~#**************#~ Little something for my godson Elijah ~#**************#~ And a little girl named Corin ~#**************#~ [Verse 1: 2Pac & Dave Hollister] ~#**************#~ Some say the blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice ~#**************#~ I say the darker the flesh, then the deeper the roots (Oh) ~#**************#~ I give a holla to my sisters on welfare ~#**************#~ 2Pac cares if dont nobody else care (Oh) ~#**************#~ And, uh, I know they like to beat you down a lot ~#**************#~ When you come around the block, brothers clown a lot ~#**************#~ But please dont cry, dry your eyes, never let up ~#**************#~ Forgive, but dont forget, girl, keep ya head up ~#**************#~ And when he tells you you aint nothin, dont believe him ~#**************#~ And if he cant learn to love you, you should leave him ~#**************#~ ‘Cause, sister, you dont need him ~#**************#~ And I aint tryin to gas you up, I just call em how I see em (You dont need him) ~#**************#~ You know what makes me unhappy? (Whats that?) ~#**************#~ When brothers make babies ~#**************#~ And leave a young mother to be a pappy (Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah) ~#**************#~ And since we all came from a woman ~#**************#~ Got our name from a woman and our game from a woman (Yeah, yeah) ~#**************#~ I wonder why we take from our women ~#**************#~ Why we rape our women, do we hate our women? ~#**************#~ (Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?) ~#**************#~ I think its time to kill for our women ~#**************#~ Time to heal our women, be real to our women ~#**************#~ And if we dont, well have a race of babies ~#**************#~ That will hate the ladies that make the babies (Oh, yeah-yeah) ~#**************#~ And since a man cant make one ~#**************#~ He has no right to tell a woman when and where to create one ~#**************#~ So will the real men get up? ~#**************#~ I know youre fed up, ladies, but keep ya head up ~#**************#~ [Chorus: Dave Hollister] ~#**************#~ (Keep ya head up) ~#**************#~ Ooh, child, things are gonna get easier ~#**************#~ (Keep-keep ya head up) ~#**************#~ Ooh, child, thingsll get brighter ~#**************#~ (Oh-oh, keep ya head up) ~#**************#~ Ooh, child, things are gonna get easier ~#**************#~ (Keep-keep ya head up) ~#**************#~ Ooh, child, thingsll get brighter ~#**************#~ [Verse 2: 2Pac & Dave Hollister] ~#**************#~ Ayo, I remember Marvin Gaye used to sing to me ~#**************#~ He had me feelin like black was the thing to be ~#**************#~ And suddenly the ghetto didnt seem so tough ~#**************#~ And though we had it rough, we always had enough ~#**************#~ I huffed and puffed about my curfew and broke the rules ~#**************#~ Ran with the local crew and had a smoke or two ~#**************#~ I realize Mama really paid the price ~#**************#~ She nearly gave her life to raise me right (Oh, yeah-yeah) ~#**************#~ And all I had to give her was my pipe dream ~#**************#~ Of how Id rock the mic and make it to the bright screen ~#**************#~ Im tryin to make a dollar out of fifteen cents ~#**************#~ Its hard to be legit and still pay your rent ~#**************#~ And in the end, it seems Im headin for the pen ~#**************#~ I try to find my friends, but theyre blowin in the wind ~#**************#~ Last night, my buddy lost his whole family ~#**************#~ Its gonna take the man in me to conquer this insanity (Oh, no, no, no) ~#**************#~ It seems the rainll never let up ~#**************#~ I try to keep my head up and still keep from gettin wet up, huh ~#**************#~ You know, its funny, when it rains it pours ~#**************#~ They got money for wars, but cant feed the poor ~#**************#~ Said it aint no hope for the youth ~#**************#~ And the truth is it aint no hope for the future ~#**************#~ And then they wonder why we crazy, huh ~#**************#~ I blame my mother for turnin my brother into a crack baby ~#**************#~ We aint meant to survive cause its a set-up ~#**************#~ And even though youre fed up, huh, you got to keep ya head up ~#**************#~ [Chorus: Dave Hollister] ~#**************#~ (Keep ya head up) ~#**************#~ Ooh, child, things are gonna get easier ~#**************#~ (Keep-keep ya head up) ~#**************#~ Ooh, child, thingsll get brighter ~#**************#~ (Oh-oh, keep ya head up) ~#**************#~ Ooh, child, things are gonna get easier ~#**************#~ (Keep-keep ya head up) ~#**************#~ Ooh, child, thingsll get brighter ~#**************#~ [Verse 3: 2Pac & Dave Hollister] ~#**************#~ And, uh, to all the ladies havin babies on they own ~#**************#~ I know its kinda rough and youre feelin all alone ~#**************#~ Daddys long gone and he left you by your lonesome ~#**************#~ Thank the Lord for my kids even if nobody else want em ~#**************#~ ‘Cause I think we can make it, in fact, Im sure ~#**************#~ And if you fall, stand tall and come back for more (Oh-oh) ~#**************#~ ‘Cause aint nothin worse than when your son ~#**************#~ Wants to know why his daddy dont love him no mo ~#**************#~ You cant complain, you was dealt this hell of a hand ~#**************#~ Without a man, feelin helpless (I know you were) ~#**************#~ Because theres too many things for you to deal with ~#**************#~ Dyin inside, but outside youre lookin fearless ~#**************#~ While the tears is rollin down your cheeks ~#**************#~ Youre steady hopin things dont all fall this week (Yeah) ~#**************#~ ‘Cause if it did, you couldnt take it (Yeah) ~#**************#~ And dont blame me, I was given this world, I didnt make it (Oh, yeah) ~#**************#~ And now my sons gettin older and older ~#**************#~ And cold from havin the world on his shoulders ~#**************#~ While the rich kids is drivin Benz ~#**************#~ Im still tryin to hold on to survivin friends (Oh, yeah) ~#**************#~ And its crazy, it seems itll never let up ~#**************#~ But, huh, please, you got to keep your head up