I've been counting all the reasons Even though you never see them Why his love ain't enough Always giving you a tainted rose Every word with no meaning Never giving you the feeling Now you're down on your knees Praying for a glimmer of hope Lord knows that he don't treat you good Not treating you the way he should Lord knows, knows I would Lord knows I'd treat you better than he You know deep in your bones He don't make you feel at home Lord knows, knows I would Lord knows I'd treat you better than he would Lord knows, knows I would Lord knows I'd treat you better than he- Lord knows, knows I would Lord knows Now I'm telling you the sun will rise (rise) I will hold you on the darkest nights (nights) Don't you ever be afraid Your ghosts will never come to wake Every word with no meaning Never giving you the feeling Now you're down on your knees Praying a glimmer of hope Lord knows that he don't treat you good Not treating you the way he should Lord knows, knows I would Lord knows I'd treat you better than he- You know deep in your bones He don't make you feel at home Lord knows, knows I would Lord knows I'd treat you better than he would He's got you feeling alone You're in a house but not home Where the sun don't set And the light don't enter your soul He's got you feeling alone You're in a house but not home Where the sun don't set And the light don't enter your soul Lord knows that he don't treat you good Not treating you the way he should Lord knows, knows I would Lord knows I'd treat you better than he- You know deep in your bones He don't make you feel at home Lord knows, knows I would Lord knows I'd treat you better than he would Treating you better than he should

Dear lord I understand all the problem I'm about to express to you Our things you already know Well here goes nothing Dear lord I'm on my knees and I'm begging please Just help me father this time I'm really in need Feeling like I just can't go on mama cry she lost her home Feels runnin all down to face, judge gave her ten days to be gone My God what I goin do now? So stressed that the day go by ... and I don't know why beg mama just please don't' cry Time give a little ruff I know when I can't give it up I don't Got twins in all their way see the stars when the... I won't Sometimes I ask myself will I be a good father Cause I've never had mine would I give the world to my daughters Live then you learned... what you're soul... grind like... Man only lord knows what the hell I don't really been through All the nights I hadn't no food Dear god tell me what I'm gon do Man only lord knows all the time I was on my grind He help what I never could find reach out what I couldn't get a dime And only lord knows, lord knows lord knows And only lord knows what the hell I don't really been through All the nights my mama couldn't move And all the pain I've put her through And only lord knows And I'm sick and tired of this pain Hate the lames in this game only down because of my name ... because of my fame Lord knows the world where I came lord knows the nights that I've cried Can't help the pain is inside, lord watch the tears from my eyes Have I seen the letter of reviction no place to go but you wishin Got a bless in comin you've lived it yeah dog it's all in my vision I've been through hell and I'm... how to see the best that I'm... Lost a couple of my dogs mister nigga like shit What it feel resigned in my heart Soul hated I'm scarred I'm a do it for... god damn is hard What the fuck is rapping I really need this shit Blood sweat and tears I really get it on Man only lord knows what the hell I don't really been through All the nights I hadn't no food Dear god tell me what I'm gon do Man only lord knows all the time I was on my grind He help what I never could find reach out what I couldn't get a dime And only lord knows, lord knows lord knows And only lord knows what the hell I don't really been through All the nights my mama couldn't move And all the pain I've put her through And only lord knows And everyday that I wake I grind no time never wait for mine Still waiting on the day I shine my soul in every part every line I remember when I had no food life's off bills over do Lord knows that I've paid my dues and forgive when I had that news They say my mama sickly thank god she seen her 50's I pray and ask forgiveness just please lord keep her with me I was down and now remember that like yesterday middle that struggle break it this year I'm blessed to say Man this world is so fucked up gas prices is way too high time's hard and I ain't gonna lie Bust ass to try to get by so who the hell is you all to be judgin' Man away from literally nothing yeah I'm talkin literally nothing Man only lord knows what the hell I don't really been through All the nights I hadn't no food Dear god tell me what I'm gon do Man only lord knows all the time I was on my grind He help what I never could find reach out what I couldn't get a dime And only lord knows, lord knows lord knows And only lord knows what the hell I don't really been through All the nights my mama couldn't move And all the pain I've put her through And only lord knows And I thank you jesus for gottin me, for keeping me In your name I pray And only lord knows

You are appreciated. When I was young me and my mama had beef 17 years old kicked out on the streets Though back at the time I never thought I'd see her face Ain't a woman alive that could take my mama's place Suspended from school, scared to go home I was a fool with the big boys, breakin' all the rules Shed tears with my baby sister Over the years we was poorer than the other little kids And even though we had different daddies The same drama, when things went wrong we blamed mama I reminisce on the stress I caused, it was hell Huggin' on my mama from a jail cell And who'd think in elementary, hey I'd see the penitentiary One day, runnin' from the police that's right Mama catch me, put a whoopin' to my backside And even as a crack fiend mama You always was a black queen mama I finally understand for a woman it ain't easy tryin' to raise a man You always was committed, a poor single mother on welfare Tell me how you did it, there's no way I can pay you back But the plan is to show you that I understand. You are appreciated. Lady, don't ya know we love ya. (Dear Mama) Sweet lady, place no one above ya. (You are appreciated) Sweet lady, don't ya know we love ya. Now ain't nobody tell us it was fair No love for my daddy 'cause the coward wasn't there He passed away and I didn't cry 'Cause my anger wouldn't let me feel for a stranger They say I'm wrong and I'm heartless But all along I was lookin' for a father, he was gone I hung around with the thugs and even though they sold drugs They showed a young brother love I moved out and started really hangin' I needed money of my own so I started slangin' I ain't guilty 'cause even though I sell rocks It feels good puttin' money in your mailbox I love payin' rent when the rent's due I hope you got the diamond necklace that I sent to you 'Cause when I was low you was there for me You never left me alone because you cared for me And I can see you comin' home after work, late Your in the kitchen tryin' to fix us a hot plate Just workin' with the scraps you was given And mama made miracles every Thanksgiving But now the road got rough, your alone Tryin' to raise 2 bad kids on your own And there's no way I can pay you back But my plan is to show you that I understand. You are appreciated. Lady, don't ya know we love ya. (And dear Mama) Sweet lady, place no one above ya. (You are appreciated) Sweet lady, don't ya know we love ya. Pour out some liquor and I reminisce 'Cause through the drama, I can always depend on my mama And when it seems that I'm hopeless You say the words that can get me back in focus When I was sick as a little kid To keep me happy, there's no limit to the things you did And all my childhood memories Are full of all the sweet things you did for me And even though I act crazy I got to thank the Lord that you made me There are no words that can express how I feel You never kept a secret, always stayed real And I appreciate how you raised me And all the extra love that you gave me I wish I could take the pain away If you can make it through the night, there's a brighter day Everything will be alright if you hold on It's a struggle, everyday gotta roll on And there's no way I can pay you back But my plan is to show you that I understand. You are appreciated. Lady, don't ya know we love ya. (Dear Mama) Sweet lady, place no one above ya. (You are appreciated) Sweet lady, don't ya know we love ya. (Dear Mama) Sweet lady, lady, lady, lady.

I got shot Dear I always felt like I'd be shot Are you afraid to die? Somebody try to do me some harm Or do you wanna live forever Because a lot of people don't like me Tell me, what's wrong? They wanna bury me, I'm worried, I'm losin' my mind Look down the barrel of my 9, and my vision's blurry Fallin' to pieces, am I guilty? I pray to the Lord But he ignores me, unfortunately, 'cause I'm guilty Show me a miracle, I'm hopeless I'm chokin' off marijuana smoke With every toke it's like I'm losin' focus Fallin' asleep while I'm in service, when will I die? Forever paranoid and nervous, because I'm high Don't mention funerals, I'm stressin' and goin' nutty And reminiscin' 'bout them niggas that murdered my buddy I wonder: When will I be happy? Ain't nothin' funny Flashbacks of bustin' caps, anything for money Where am I goin'? I discovered, can't nothin' save me My next door neighbor's havin' convo with undercovers Put a surprise in the mailbox, hope she get it Happy birthday, bitch, you know you shouldn't have did it Everybody's dyin', am I next? Who can I trust? Will they be G's, and they look at me before they bust? Or will they kill me while I'm sleepin'? Two to the head while I'm in bed Leakin' blood on my satin sheets Is there a heaven for a baller? I'm gettin' suspicious of this bitch The line's busy every time I call her Now she's tellin' me to visit, who else is home? I check the house before I bone, so we all alone After I nut I hit the highway, see ya later! To all the players, watch the fly way a nigga played her This bitch is tellin' all her homies That I can fuck her like no other Now them other bitches wanna bone me I'm under pressure, gettin' drunk, somebody help me I drank a fifth of Hennessy, I don't think it's healthy I see my enemies, they creepin', don't make me blast I watch the 5-0's roll, the motherfuckers pass By me like they know me, smilin' as they laugh I put up my middle finger, then I dash Niggas don't like me, 'cause I'm thuggin' And every day I'm a hustler lookin' to get paid If I know that in this hotel room, they have food everyday And i'm knocking on the door everyday to eat And they tell, they open the door Let me see the party Let me see like them throwing salami all over I mean just like throwing food around But they're telling me "there's no food in here" You know what i'm saying? Everyday, I'm standing outside trying to Sing my way in You know what i'm saying? "We are hungry please let us in'" "We are hungry please let us in" After about a week that song is gonna change to "We hungry, we need some food" "Gimmie all the food or we're breaking down the door" And after a year then you just like You know what I'm saying, I'm picking the lock Coming through the door blasting You know what I'm saying? It's like you hungry, you reached your level You don't want anymore We asked 10 years ago We was asking with the Panthers We was asking with them, the Civil Rights Movement We was asking you know Now those people that asked are all dead and in jail So now what do you think we're gonna do? Ask? They wanna bury me, I'm worried no need to lie I pray to God I don't scream when it's time to fry Nowhere to rest, I'm losin' homies ain't that a bitch? When I was rich I had clout, now a nigga's lonely I put the pistol to my head, and say a prayer I see visions of me dead, Lord, are you there? Then tell me, am I lost? 'Cause I'm lonely I thought I had friends, but in the end a nigga dies lonely Nowhere to run, I'm in terror, and no one cares A closed casket at my funeral and no one's there Is there a future for a killer? I change my ways But still that don't promise me the next day So I stay thuggin' with a passion, forever blastin' I'm bustin' on these motherfuckers in my madness They wonder if I'm hellbound Well, Hell can't be worse than this, 'cause I'm in Hell now Don't make me hurt you, I don't want to, but I will Seen motherfuckers killed over phone bills Never will I die, I'll be back Reincarnated as a motherfuckin' MAC -11, 'cause in Heaven there's no shortage on G's I'm tellin' you now: "You motherfuckers don't know me" I ain't scared to die I ain't scared to die Only fear of death Only fear of death Only fear of death The controversy over Death Row Records And its owner being sort of a gangster Everybody's asking about Death Row Suge ain't no gangsta. He's chilling No? No man, Suge a rider I know what good morals are But you're supposed to disregard good morals When you're living in a crazy, bad world If you're in hell, how can you live like an angel? You're surrounded by devils, trying to be an angel? That's like suicide