Letters to My Unborn

You want a story kid?
Well let me kick it then
Don't fall victim to the miseries of wicked men
Don't pay attention to the failures of the people you
See as the icons
There ain't no precedent for you
You're all alone, but I don't mean that to disillusion
Just find your feet, get your stride, and get to moving
People hate it's like a default or a precondition
Forget those people, don't you ever, ever listen
Life is music so play your own violins
You write the symphony, decide when you think it ends
Question everything, but that's a given
Don't become hypnotised by nobody else's rhythm
Cry when you want to cry
Sing when you wanna sing
You ain't happy with your life, change it then
People moan about the world, but do nothing for it
See the problems that exist, but then ignore them
Treat 'em well, but don't let 'em play you for a fool
Pinch of salt when you digest what they give to you
Love your mother, whoever she turns out to be
I'm sure she's beautiful like you
I can't wait to see
Life is fragile, so even if I'm not around
Know I went out in a blaze of righteous sound
Speak my name frequently so you remember me
Because easily the dust settles on our memories

Papa didn't raise no fool, no fool, no fool
And you can say, Papa didn't raise no fool, no fool, no fool
Papa didn't raise no fool, no fool, no fool
And I can say, Papa didn't raise no fool, raise no fool, raise no fool

Youth is wasted on foolishness and indiscretion
But don't you worry about that
You gotta learn them lessons
You'll make mistakes, t hat's just what we do
But learning this way is worth more than what you'll learn in school
Avoid religion, it's ignorance and breeds contempt
Blind faith is for the weak who don't use their heads
You see injustice, speak out and kill it dead
Apathy is the worst thing that exists in men
Money's important, but don't put it on a pedestal
If you got no soul, what the hell did you get it for?
You lack respect if you sold out to make your way
It ain't worth it, you'll burn in the paper chase
Life has rules, but most of them are made for breaking
It's full of jewels, and most of them are made for taking
Don't be timid, and don't be shy
No one gives you nothing, you take it or you step aside
The odds are stacked, but that's the way I like it
Who wants it on a platter?
I want to take it biting
Be a dreamer, but don't dream your life away
Be idealistic, but execute the things you say
And when your time comes, and you face the dark abyss
And for the first time, you see what the darkness is
You'll say damn, now they gon' remember me
I won't let the dust settle on these memories

Papa didn't raise no fool, no fool, no fool
And you can say, Papa didn't raise no fool, no fool, no fool
Papa didn't raise no fool, no fool, no fool
And I can say, Papa didn't raise no fool, raise no fool, raise no fool

Your grandma's gone, but trust me, she'd have loved you
And you'd have loved her back
Her spirit would have touched you
My sole regret is not taking better care of her when she was sick
But I was young and not aware of the
Repercussions of the impact of my actions
It stays with me always, my own private sadness
But listen closely, when I tell you
Regret is something that will never, ever help you
You let it go, don't hold on to hatred
It eats you up alive, strips you 'til you're naked
The planet's full up with misdirected rage
Inherited malevolence that eats up your brain
It's not for you, you're a light that's going to shine
Illuminate the darkness, and one more time

You can say, you can say
Papa didn't raise no fool, no fool, no fool
And you can say, Papa didn't raise no fool, no fool, no fool
Papa didn't raise no fool, no fool, no fool
And I can say, Papa didn't raise no fool, raise no fool, raise no fool