Told that I was supposed to fail
I wouldn´t amount to much of nothin´.
Yes, I pray
There was days I wondered if you really loved me.
"But, baby, you feel pain"

Mama would say when I felt like runnin´ away.
I couldn´t take it.
I, soon, hit ten, angry with all of the world.
I couldn´t keep friends, just wishin´ you´d come back and see
My difficult times being an adolescent.
And like so many just like me, without a shoulder to lean.

I needed you
When I needed a father figure.
I needed you
To stop me from makin´ a wrong decision.
At seventeen, when the cold of the world had my back up against the wall.

I need, I needed you.
I need, I needed you.

Told that I was supposed to fail
I wouldn´t amount to much of nothin´.
Yes, I pray
There was days I wondered if you really loved me.
"But, baby, you feel pain"
Mama would say when I felt like runnin´ away.
I couldn´t take it.
I, soon, hit ten, angry with all of the world.
I couldn´t keep friends, just wishin´ you´d come back and see
My difficult times being an adolescent.
And like so many just like me, without a shoulder to lean.

I needed you
When I needed a father figure.
I needed you

To stop me from makin´ the wrong decisions.
At seventeen, when the cold of the world had my back up against the wall.
When temptation was calling me, didn´t know which way to go.
I needed you.
I need, I needed you.
I needed you.
I need, I need you.
Seventeen when the cold of the world had my back up against the wall.
When temptation was calling me, didn´t know which way to go.

Mama had no financial help
And thoughts of breakin´ the law came.
Seen her tryna hold down two jobs was tearin´ up on me had a way (had a way).

All my friends was gettin´ in it
It came time for me to get that dough.
Wrong or right I had to go for what I know.

I needed you
When I needed a father figure.
I needed you
To stop me from makin´ the wrong decisions.
At seventeen, when the cold of the world had my back up against the wall.
When temptation was calling me, didn´t know which way to go.
I needed you.
I need, I needed you.
I needed you.
I need, I need you.
Seventeen when the cold of the world had my back up against the wall.

When temptation was calling me, didn´t know which way to go.

Lord I pray. Give me strength to forgive them and not all the I hate I got
Even though the pain of this was too heavy
Lord I pray
Show me all brothers growin´ up without a father had a turn with a day adolescent to a legacy
Lord I pray

From the knowledge I ain´t get
God, you gave me.
And temptation was callin´ me, didn´t know which way to go.

I needed you
When I needed a father figure.

I needed you
To stop me from makin´ the wrong decisions.
At seventeen, when the cold of the world had my back up against the wall.
When temptation was calling me, didn´t know which way to go.