What It's Like

We've all seen a man at the liquor store beggin' for your change The hair on his face is dirty, dread-locked, and full of mange He asks a man for what he could spare, with shame in his eyes "Get a job, you f**king slob," is all he replies God forbid, you ever had to walk a mile in his shoes 'Cause then you really might know what it's like to sing the blues Then you really might know what it's like Then you really might know what it's like Then you really might know what it's like Then you really might know what it's like Mary got pregnant from a kid named Tom that said he was in love He said, "Don't worry about a thing, baby doll I'm the man you've been dreaming of" But 3 months later, he say he won't date her or return her calls And she swear, "Goddamn, if I find that man, I'm cuttin' off his balls" And then she heads for the clinic And she gets some static walking through the door They call her a killer, and they call her a sinner And they call her a whore God forbid, you ever had to walk a mile in her shoes 'Cause then you really might know what it's like to have to choose Then you really might know what it's like Then you really might know what it's like Then you really might know what it's like Then you really might know what it's like I've seen a rich man beg, I've seen a good man sin I've seen a tough man cry, I've seen a loser win And a sad man grin, I heard an honest man lie I've seen the good side of bad and the downside of up And everything between I licked the silver spoon, drank from the golden cup And smoked the finest green I stroked the fattest dimes at least a couple of times Before I broke their heart You know where it ends, yo, it usually depends on where you start I knew this kid named Max Who used to get fat stacks out on the corner with drugs He liked to hang out late He liked to get shit-faced and keep the pace with thugs Until late one night, there was a big old fight and Max lost his head He pulled out his chrome .45, talked some shit, and wound up dead Now his wife and his kids are caught in the midst of all of this pain You know it comes that way At least that's what they say when you play the game God forbid, you ever had to wake up to hear the news 'Cause then you really might know what it's like to have to lose Then you really might know what it's like Then you really might know what it's like Then you really might know what it's like to have to lose