You tell me that there's love here, but, to me, it's blatant
That with all the blood here, I'm dealing with Satan
Plus with all the hating, it's hard to keep peace (uh huh)
Thou shall not steal, but I will to eat
I tried doing good, but good's not too good for me
Misunderstood, why you chose the hood for me
Me? I'm aight I just had to work hard at it
Went to grandma for the answer and she told me that God had it
So now here I am, confused and full of questions
Am I born to lose or is this just a lesson?
And who is going choose when it gets turned around
And will it be laying in my own blood and on the ground?

My child
I've watched you grow up and I've been there
Even at those times you least suspected it, I was there
And look at what I've given you a talent to rhyme
I may not come when you call, but I'm always on time

Somebody's knocking
Should I let 'em in?
Lord, we're just starting
But where will it end
Somebody's knocking
Should I let 'em in?
Lord, we're just starting
But where will it end

But when the funds are low, the guns'll blow
Looking for that one that owe, make 'em run that dough

No! Put down the guns and write a new rhyme
You'll get it all in due time, you'll do fine, just have faith cause you mine
And when you shine, it's gon' be a sight to behold
So don't fight to be old or lose sight when it's cold
See that light down the road? It's going to guide you there
Two sets of footprints I was right beside you there

But what about them times I only saw one?
Those were the times when I was under the gun

It was then I carried you my son
Led you to safety
It just wasn't your time to face me (uh-huh)

Ayo a few of them times I thought you would erase me
But all you did was embrace me, prepared me for the worst
Offered me eternal life and scared me with the hearse
And the curse turned to grace when the hurt turned to faith
No more running or sliding in the dirt cause I'm safe

Somebody's knocking
Should I let 'em in?
Lord, we're just starting
But where will it end
Somebody's knocking
Should I let 'em in?

So if I'm your man, I'm in your hands, what's your plan
Never had a friend cause you couldn't trust your man
Learned to stand before I crawled, things were twisted
And if you showed me anything at all, then I missed it
Looked the wrong way, I've done some wrong things
Kept a bad attitude, but that's what wrong brings
And now you mean to tell me that, after all this time
It was you that kept the dog from going out of my mind?
It was you that breathed life into my lungs when I was born?
And it was you that let me know what was right from what was wrong?
And it was you that let me do, what I knew what could be done?
And it was you that gave me a good wife and a beautiful son?
And it's been you speaking to me inside my mind?
And it's been you who has forgiven time after time?
It was you who opened my eyes so I could see?
And it was you that shined your light on me?

Copyright: Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Writer(s): Damon J Blackman, Earl Simmons, Edward Penny, J Gillespie