Hold On

[Intro: Erykah Badu & young girl]
"You're beautiful, you know that?" "Uh-huh"
"Do you know that?" "Yes"
"You do?" "Uh-huh"
"You know when those kids tease you?" "Uh-huh"
"Don't you ever worry about that, because you're very beautiful
Do you know you're beautiful?" "Uh-huh"
"Are you ready?" "Ma, I love you"
"I love you"

[Verse 1: Pharoahe Monch]
He pushed her down and called her black and ugly
She asked, "Why must you tease me?"
He laughed at her, said, "You're from Africa, your hair is peasy
Your skin is dark and greasy, and plus, you are so beneath me"
Please trust me, it wasn't easy for Diamond, it scarred her deeply
Plays like a Fender bass
To myself, thought, how much does gender play?
Rememberin' such hatred at this tender age
If I could send a mental page, my thoughts would end the rage
Reminiscent of the looks to her in class I gave, my eyes would say

[Chorus: Erykah Badu]
Hold on, I'm sure
There's so much more to live for
If you hold on, things'll change
So come on, be strong
And hold on, I'm sure
There's so much more to live for
As you grow strong, things'll change
No pain (No more pain), no gain (No more pain)

[Verse 2: Pharoahe Monch]
Please be willin' to fight for your will
Despite writings from William Lynch
Millions tried to rise like helium
But died in the fields and the trenches
Cries from the killing is senseless
Eyes to the ceiling, it quenches
A thirst and a feeling that's endless
The prize like a rain that rinses the soul
And cleanses your mind from white picketed fences
Heads up your ass, splinters in face, mentally ridin' benches
The masters, pastors, disastrous but fascist bastards
They crafted this hazardous plan
That still has us broken and battered
We shoulder the struggle with the weight of a boulder
That muffles the sound of provocative thinking
The pieces of puzzles incompleted, only deleted
To be pushed to the back of your mind
Like a hairline that has receded
Now we repeated the process, but never weeded the problem out
Heeded the warnings, but never proceeded to solve it
No forward progress, it's obvious the soul is gone
I meditate and pray that these words will somehow allow you to

[Chorus: Erykah Badu]
Hold on, I'm sure
There's so much more to live for
If you hold on, things'll change
So come on, be strong
And hold on, I'm sure
There's so much more to live for
As you grow strong, things'll change
No pain (No more pain), no gain (No more pain)

[Verse 3: Pharoahe Monch]
See, now Diamond is priceless
Timeless, how she maneuvers like Heimlich
In this new world, it reminds me of Isis
She knows now that her complexion is a holy device
A protection from UV rays in this negative time of crisis
Like a knife through butter slices
Easily to anger, she reacts pious
Like a cell protecting itself from a virus
Twice as strong is her demeanour, now she is righteous
God is what you see now when you peer inside her eyelids

[Chorus: Erykah Badu]
Hold on, I'm sure
There's so much more to live for
If you hold on, things'll change
So come on, be strong
And hold on, I'm sure
There's so much more to live for
As you grow strong, things'll change
No pain (No more pain), no gain (No more pain)

[Outro: Erykah Badu]
You're so beautiful
You can change this world
If you want to girl
Oh, ooh
Now come on, hold on
Grow strong