[ti:Dear Mama]
[ar:2Pac]
[al:]

[00:05.90]You are appreciated...
[00:11.74]When i was young, me and my mama had beef
[00:14.01]17 years old kicked out on tha streets
[00:16.87]Though back in tha time, i never thought i d see her face
[00:19.54]Ain t a woman alive that can take my momma s place
[00:22.51]Suspended from school, scared ta go home
[00:25.18]I was a fool with tha big boys breaking all tha rules
[00:28.86]Shed tears with my baby sister
[00:30.88]Over tha years we wuz poorer than tha other little kids
[00:34.41]And even though we had different daddies
[00:36.51]Tha same drama when things went wrong we blamed mama
[00:40.10]I reminised on tha stress i caused, it wuz hell
[00:43.10]Hugg en on my mama from a jail cell
[00:46.56]And who ed think in elementary, heeeey i d see tha penitentiary
[00:51.43]One day
[00:52.78]Running from tha police, that s right
[00:55.28]Momma catch me--put a whoop en to my backside
[00:57.68]And even as a crack fiend mama,
[01:00.45]Ya always was a black queen mama
[01:03.31]I finally understand for a woman
[01:05.85]It ain t easy--trying ta raise a man
[01:08.66]Ya always wuz commited, a poor single mother on welfare,
[01:13.39]Tell me how ya did it
[01:14.55]There s no way i can pay ya back
[01:16.71]But tha plan is ta show ya that i understand.
[01:19.77]You are appreciated......
[01:22.89]Laaaaady, don t cha know we luv ya
[01:28.26]Sweeeet laaaady, place no one above ya
[01:31.82]Sweeeet laaaady, don t cha know we luv ya
[01:37.55]Ain t nobody tell us it wuz fair
[01:39.53]No luv for my daddy, cause tha coward wuzn t there
[01:42.42]He passed away and i didn t cry
[01:45.12]Cause my anger, wouldn t let me feel for a stranger
[01:48.59]They say i m wrong and i m heartless
[01:50.70]But all along i wuz looking for a father--he wuz gone
[01:54.32]I hung around with tha thug s and even though they sold drugs
[01:57.78]They showed a young brother luv
[02:00.05]I moved out and started really hang in
[02:02.21]I needed money of my own so i started slang in
[02:05.20]I ain t guilty cause, even though i sell rocks
[02:07.83]It feels good, putting money in your mailbox
[02:11.07]I love paying rent when tha rents due
[02:13.63]I hope ya got tha diamond necklace that i sent to you
[02:16.82]Cause when i wuz low, you was there for me
[02:19.47]Ya never left me alone, cause ya cared for me
[02:22.13]And i can see ya coming home after work late
[02:24.78]Ya in tha kitchen trying ta fix us a hot plate
[02:28.55]Just working with tha scraps you wuz given
[02:30.98]And mama made miracles every thanksgiving
[02:33.84]But now tha road got rough, your alone
[02:36.88]Trying ta raise two bad kids on your own
[02:40.09]And there s no way i can pay ya back
[02:42.49]But my plan is ta show ya that i understand
[02:45.41]You are appreciated.....
[02:47.41]Laaaaady, don t cha know we luv ya
[02:52.34]Sweeeet laaaady, place no one above ya
[02:55.30]Sweeeet laaaady, don t cha know we luv ya
[03:03.08]Pour out some liquor and i remenise
[03:04.86]Cause through tha drama, i can always depend on my mama
[03:08.44]And when it seems that i m hopeless
[03:10.62]You say tha words that can get me back in focus
[03:13.90]When i wuz sick as a little kid
[03:16.47]Ta keep me happy theres no limit to tha things ya did
[03:19.91]And all my childhood memories
[03:22.47]Are full of all tha sweet things ya did for me
[03:25.69]And even though i act craaaazy
[03:28.09]I got ta thank tha lord that ya maaaade me
[03:30.89]There are no words that can express how i feel
[03:33.95]Ya never kept a secret, always stayed real
[03:35.98]And i appreciate how ya raised me
[03:40.07]And all tha extra love that ya gave me
[03:42.72]I wish i could take tha pain away
[03:45.03]If you can make it through tha night, there s a brighter day
[03:47.65]Everything ll be alright if ya hold on
[03:50.64]It s a struggle
[03:52.07]Everyday gotta roll on
[03:54.53]And there s no way i can pay ya back
[03:56.51]But my plan is ta show ya that i understand
[03:59.23]You are appreciated.......
[04:01.30]Laaaaady, don t cha know we luv ya
[04:06.46]Sweeeet laaaady, place no one above ya
[04:12.21]Sweeeet laaaady, don t cha know we luv ya, sweeeet laaaady
[04:17.71]Laaaady...