Tim Saunders

My daddy name was Tim, gave me the same name as him
If you never heard the name, I guess you don't know Cambridge then
He ain't let me win no games of nothing, boy, he played to win
20 years and nine months of my life feel like it came and went
Lot of people never have their Dad around and that's a fact
And I hate to say this part, but especially when you black
Meanwhile, I got calls from out the blue like, Timmy, where you at
And, Who you with, and, Why you there?, and, Boy, what time you coming back
Told me all the same things 'til they was ingrained in my mind
I used to get annoyed, but now I wanna hear him one more time
Told me all his plans for the future damn near every day
And said don't know how much time I got left, I'm gone make sure you straight

And I ain't gotta tell you 'cause you know you right
Mom said I was a kid, became a man like overnight
I ain't gotta tell you 'cause you know you right
Momma said I was a kid, became a man like overnight

My daddy told me, Don't you ever change yourself for no one
Don't you ever take no shit from no one
You kind, but don't let 'em play you
'Cause that ain't how I made you, nah, that ain't how I raised you
Oh son, homeboy, you still got a lot to go, son
You the baby boy, you ain't the grown one
But you growing on up, ain't you?
I know that's how I made you, I know that's how I raised you
My daddy told me, Don't you ever change yourself for no one
Don't you ever take no shit from no one
You kind, but don't let 'em play you
'Cause that ain't how I made you, nah, that ain't how I raised you
Oh son, homeboy, you still got a lot to go, son
You the baby boy, you ain't the grown one
But you growing on up, ain't you?
I know that's how I made you, I know that's how I raised you

A few weeks ago, we was at Canvasback
That open mic, I thought you'd talk to someone and stand in the back
But you was right in front the stage, right in front the whole damn crowd
My last time performing for you and I know I made you proud
When I made that Dean's List in the spring, I know I made you proud
And I ain't gon' stop making you proud just 'cause you ain't around
And you always told me, You get mad all you want
But I'm gon' tell you what to do, and you gon' miss it when I'm gone

And I ain't gotta tell you 'cause you know you right
Mom said I was a boy, became a man like overnight
I ain't gotta tell you 'cause you know you right
Momma said I was a boy, became a man like overnight

My daddy told me, Don't you ever change yourself for no one
Don't you ever take no shit from no one
You kind, but don't let 'em play you
'Cause that ain't how I made you, nah, that ain't how I raised you
Oh son, homeboy, you still got a lot to go, son
You the baby boy, you ain't the grown one
But you growing on up, ain't you?
I know that's how I made you, I know that's how I raised you

I can hear him saying
Don't you ever change yourself for no one
Don't you ever take no shit from no one
I'm gone, but don't let 'em play you
'Cause that ain't how I made you
'Cause that ain't how I raised you

And I guess now you really grown, son
And I hope you pass it down to yo' son
Make sure you tell him how I raised you
And tell him how I made you, yeah, tell him how I made you