Cleo Sol sings about her mother’s trauma, the affect it has had on her as a daughter. She has healed herself from that generational trauma, however her mother may still be stuck in her 20s, as represented in the title “23”.
Didn't have no one, sacrificed your goals
Didn't trust yourself, don't need to lie
I know you can survive
But it feels like sometimes you need to cry
Oh, mama, why?
The little stars and the locked up dreams
The missing pieces, they're in me
I know that you're strong, but you must stop fighting
And live your song in harmony
Buried secrets deep, now they overflow
Crystal clear to me, God, let it be
Pass the burden on
Sweep the troubled life
Drink the hurt away
I know the pain
'Cause you nearly broke me down, mama
I was hurt for a whilе, hurt for a while, I was hurting inside
Ain't no time to cry
I'll fix what’s brokеn and live my life authentically
It's not far away
The road to peace happens when I pray, I'm not asleep
There's bigger dreams that didn't fit for you, but will fit for me
Do you believe?
Mama, please, stop acting twenty-three
You've got responsibilities
Are you still stuck in your teens?
You nearly broke me down, mama
Ooh, oh, mama, oh, mama
You nearly, you nearly broke me down, mama
Oh, mama why, the little stars and the locked up dreams
The missing pieces, they're in me
Oh, mama why, the little stars and the locked up dreams
The missing pieces, they're in me