It takes a whole nation to help me raise this generation
When you look out of the window, tell me what do you see?
If it’s a world without a father then you’re looking at me
It takes a whole nation to help me raise this generation
My respect to the mothers that be holding it down
But it sho’ would be nice to have my daddy around
All I need is one mike, I know you can see
I’m not a rapper but there are some dudes that are just like me
Every time you took a picture with you and your family
It was only two people when it’s supposed to be three
It was supposed to be me asking why is the sky blue?
When I grow up I wanna be like you
Yo daddy, can you teach me how to tie my shoes
Can I go with you to work so I can see what you do?
Let me see what you do, so I can love my kid too
But you didn’t stick around, was that too much to ask of you?
Too much to get a blueprint, no, too much to show the way, no
That’s the reason why this building is not finished today
We’re lost boys, still we wanna believe that
My daddy’s coming back, he didn’t forget about me
Like a child after school we sit and we wait
I know that you gon’ come, but that was ’78
It takes a whole nation to help me raise this generation
When you look out of the window, tell me what do you see?
If it’s a world without a father then you’re looking at me
It takes a whole nation to help me raise this generation
My respect to the mothers that be holding it down
But it sho’ would be nice to have my daddy around
They say raising kids, it’s the parent’s responsibility
But it’s a million of y’all and only one of me
What happened to the village? As far as I can see
It’s been burned down by this modern day slavery
For eleven years I’ve been living here
I’ve seen momma cry more than eleven tears
Watching momma be daddy while he slips away
Does Jesus really hear kids when they pray?
Momma working two jobs, she can’t do it alone
She shouldn’t have to, she didn’t get knocked up on her own
And I know that, baby, momma’s drama brothers is real
But before you close the door don’t forget how it feels, remember
And daddy missed my game, and I made a touchdown
I won the talent show, but you weren’t around
If a girl breaks my heart, what I do with the pain?
And one more thing, daddy, can you tell me my name?
It takes a whole nation to help me raise this generation
When you look out of the window, tell me what do you see?
If it’s a world without a father then you’re looking at me
It takes a whole nation to help me raise this generation
My respect to the mothers that be holding it down
But it sho’ would be nice to have my daddy around
Ain’t nothing gonna break me down
Can there nobody take me down
Can there nobody break me down, me down
Ain’t nothing gonna break me down
Can there nobody take me down
Ain’t nothing gonna break me down, me down
Ain’t nothing gonna break me down
Can there nobody take me down
Can there nobody break me down, me down
Ain’t nothing gonna break me down
Can there nobody take me down
Ain’t nothing gonna break me down, me down
It takes a whole nation to help me raise this generation
When you look out of the window, tell me what do you see?
If it’s a world without a father then you’re looking at me
It takes a whole nation to help me raise this generation
My respect to the mothers that be holding it down
But it sho’ would be nice to have my daddy around