Parents Just Don't Understand

Listen up now, everybody
All you kids across the land (oh)
Listen up now, everybody
Parents don't understand

You know, parents are the same, no matter time nor place
They don't understand that us kids are gonna make some mistakes
(Oh no) to all you kids all across the land
There's no need to argue, parents just don't understand

I remember one year, my mom took me school shoppin'
It was me, my brother, my mom, oh, my pop
(Uh-huh) and my little sister all hopped in the car
We headed downtown to the gallery mall
My mama started buggin' with the clothes she chose
I didn't say nothin' at first, I just turned up my nose
(Oh) she said, "What's wrong? This shirt costs 20 dollars"
I said, "Mom, this shirt is plaid with a butterfly collar"

The next half-hour was the same old thing
My mama buyin' me clothes from 1983
('83) and then she lost her mind and did the ultimate (oh no)
I asked for Adidas and she bought me zips
(No way) "Mom, what are you doing? You're ruining my rep"
She said, "You're only 15, you don't have a rep yet"
"Mom, let's put these clothes back, please"
She said, "No, you go to school to learn, not for a fashion show"

(Oh) I said, "This isn't Family Matters, and Mom, I'm not Erkle
Please put back the high-water pants with lime circles
But if you don't want to, I can live with that but
You gotta put back the double-knit reversible slacks"
(What are slacks?) She wasn't moved, everything stayed the same
Inevitably the first day of school came
I thought I could get over, I tried to play sick
But my mom was like, "No, no way, uh-uh, forget it" (Aw)

There's nothin' I can do, I tried to relax
I got dressed up in those ancient artifacts
And when I walked into school, it was just as I thought
The kids were crackin' up laughin'
At the clothes Mom bought (look at him)

And those who weren't laughin' still had a ball
Because they were pointin' and whisperin'
As I walked down the hall (what is he wearing?)
(Ew) I got home and told my mom how my day went, she said
"If they were laughing you don't need 'em
'Cause they're not good friends" (Mom)

For the next six hours I tried to explain to my mom
That I was gonna have to go through this
About 200 more times (oh no)
So to you all, the kids all across the land
There's no need to argue, parents just don't understand

(Everybody) listen up now, everybody
(Everybody) all you kids across the land (oh, across the land)
Listen up now, everybody
Parents don't understand

I don't care if you and your friend are AMing each other (it's IMing)
Get over here right now (listen up, listen up)
There's no explaining grownups
Hey, I'm with it, I like that Justin Timbaland guy
(Parents don't understand) Timberlake
So you wanna see me do the moonwalk again?
I loved when your father did the moonwalk (listen up)
What? Shhh
(Parents don't understand) what's the sizzle, my, uh, grizzle?
Dad, if you love me, stop

They just don't understand
Mom and Dad in effect
We're like your total homies, your posse