YOU ARE APPRECIATED
WHEN I WAS YOUNG ME
AND MY MAMA HAD BEEF
SEVENTEEN YEARS
OLD KICKED
OUT ON THE STREETS
THOUGH BACK
AT THE TIME
I NEVER THOUGHT
I'D SEE HER FACE
AIN'T A WOMAN
ALIVE THAT
COULD TAKE MY
MAMA'S PLACE
SUSPENDED FROM
SCHOOL AND
SCARED TO GO HOME
I WAS A FOOL
WITH THE BIG
BOYS BREAKIN
ALL THE RULES
I SHED TEARS WITH
MY BABY SISTER
OVER THE YEARS
WE WAS POORER
THAN THE OTHER
LITTLE KIDS
AND EVEN THOUGH
WE HAD DIFFERENT
DADDY'S THE SAME
DRAMA
WHEN THINGS WENT
WRONG WE'D BLAME MAMA
I REMINISCE ON THE STRESS
I CAUSED IT WAS HELL
HUGGIN ON MY MAMA
FROM A JAIL CELL
AND WHO'D THINK
IN ELEMENTARY
HEY I'D SEE THE
PENITENTIARY ONE DAY
AND RUNNIN FROM
THE POLICE THAT'S RIGHT
MAMA CATCH ME PUT A
WHOOPIN TO MY BACKSIDE
AND EVEN AS A
CRACK FIEND MAMA
YOU ALWAYS WAS A
BLACK QUEEN MAMA
I FINALLY UNDERSTAND
FOR A WOMAN IT AIN'T EASY
TRYIN TO RAISE A MAN
YOU ALWAYS WAS
COMMITTED
A POOR SINGLE
MOTHER ON
WELFARE TELL ME
HOW YA DID IT
THERE'S NO WAY
I CAN PAY YOU BACK
BUT THE PLAN IS TO SHOW
YOU THAT I UNDERSTAND
YOU ARE APPRECIATED
DON'TCHA KNOW WE
LOVE YA SWEET LADY
PLACE NO ONE ABOVE
YA SWEET LADY
DON'TCHA KNOW
WE LOVE YA
NOW AIN'T NOBODY
TELL US IT WAS FAIR
NO LOVE FROM MY
DADDY CAUSE
THE COWARD
WASN'T THERE
HE PASSED AWAY
AND I DIDN'T
CRY CAUSE MY ANGER
WOULDN'T LET ME FEEL
FOR A STRANGER
THEY SAY I'M WRONG
AND I'M
HEARTLESS BUT ALL
ALONG
I WAS LOOKIN FOR A
FATHER HE WAS GONE
I HUNG AROUND WITH
THE THUGS AND
EVEN THOUGH THEY
SOLD DRUGS
THEY SHOWED A YOUNG
BROTHER LOVE
I MOVED OUT AND
STARTED REALLY HANGIN
I NEEDED MONEY OF MY
OWN SO I STARTED SLANGIN
I AIN'T GUILTY CAUSE EVEN
THOUGH I SELL ROCKS
IT FEELS GOOD PUTTIN
MONEY IN YOUR MAILBOX
I LOVE PAYIN RENT WHEN
THE RENT'S DUE
I HOPE YA GOT
THE DIAMOND
NECKLACE THAT
I SENT TO YOU
CAUSE WHEN I WAS LOW
YOU WAS THERE FOR ME
AND NEVER LEFT ME ALONE
BECAUSE YOU CARED FOR ME
AND I COULD SEE YOU COMIN
HOME AFTER WORK LATE
YOU'RE IN THE KITCHEN
TRYIN TO FIX US A HOT PLATE
YA JUST WORKIN WITH THE
SCRAPS YOU WAS GIVEN
AND MAMA MADE MIRACLES
EVERY THANKSGIVIN
BUT NOW THE ROAD GOT
ROUGH YOU'RE ALONE
YOU'RE TRYIN TO RAISE TWO
BAD KIDS ON YOUR OWN
AND THERE'S NO WAY
I CAN PAY YOU BACK
BUT MY PLAN IS TO SHOW
YOU THAT I UNDERSTAND
YOU ARE APPRECIATED
DON'TCHA KNOW WE
LOVE YA SWEET LADY
PLACE NO ONE ABOVE
YA SWEET LADY
DON'TCHA KNOW
WE LOVE YA
POUR OUT SOME LIQUOR
AND I REMINISCE
CAUSE THROUGH
THE DRAMA
I CAN ALWAYS DEPEND
ON MY MAMA
AND WHEN IT SEEMS
THAT I'M HOPELESS
YOU SAY THE WORDS THAT
CAN GET ME BACK IN FOCUS
WHEN I WAS SICK
AS A LITTLE KID
TO KEEP ME HAPPY
THERE'S
NO LIMIT TO THE THINGS
YOU DID
AND ALL MY
CHILDHOOD MEMORIES
ARE FULL OF ALL
THE SWEET
THINGS YOU DID FOR ME
AND EVEN THOUGH
I ACT CRAZY
I GOTTA THANK THE LORD
THAT YOU MADE ME
THERE ARE NO WORDS THAT
CAN EXPRESS HOW I FEEL
YOU NEVER KEPT A SECRET
ALWAYS STAYED REAL
AND I APPRECIATE
HOW YOU RAISED ME
AND ALL THE EXTRA LOVE
THAT YOU GAVE ME
I WISH I COULD TAKE
THE PAIN AWAY
IF YOU CAN MAKE IT
THROUGH THE
NIGHT THERE'S
A BRIGHTER DAY
EVERYTHING WILL BE
ALRIGHT IF YA HOLD ON
IT'S A STRUGGLE EVERYDAY
GOTTA ROLL ON
AND THERE'S NO WAY
I CAN PAY YOU BACK
BUT MY PLAN IS TO SHOW
YOU THAT I UNDERSTAND
YOU ARE APPRECIATED
DON'TCHA KNOW WE
LOVE YA SWEET LADY
PLACE NO ONE ABOVE
YA SWEET LADY
DON'TCHA KNOW
WE LOVE YA
SWEET LADY
LADY LADY LADY