Mama Said

BEGINNING CHORUS:
(Nina Simone recording):
If I had only listened to what my mama said
If I had only listened to what my mama said
I’d be at home today
If I had only listened to what my mama said
If I had only listened to what my mama said
If I had only listened to what my mama said
[?]

VERSE 1:
My mama would say stay from the brothers that hang on the street
Claiming to see some of the dangers that waited for me
But I was a teen, all of my friends was havin’ a ball
They stand on the wall laughing at cats who would pass in they cars
While sipping the brew some of the others would puff on the blunt
But I wasn’t one for all the drinking and smoking and such
I’m tired of mom, how she gon’ tell me to stay in the crib
Man she must think I’m a kid, next she gon’ take out a bib
Besides, what could go wrong, none of my homies is dumb
We out here only for fun, ain’t like I’m holding a gun
I ain’t selling drugs, I ain’t the one that be pushing the weight
Yeah I know some of us do but ain’t like it’s pushed in my face
Anthony hustles a bit but he got a couple of kids
He ain’t just selling to sell it, my man got to struggle with his
Man these are my friends and you don’t know them the way that I do
Why you so worried with me? I ain’t complaining ‘bout you but man

MIDDLE CHORUS:
Nina: If I had only listened to what my mama said
O’hene: If I just listened to what my mama said
Nina: If I had only listened to what my mama said
O’hene: If I just listened to what my mama said
Nina: If I had only listened to what my mama said
O’hene: If I just listened to what my mama said
Nina: I’d be at home today
O’hene: man I would be home, man I would be home

Nina: If I had only listened to what my mama said
O’hene: If I just listened to what my mama said
Nina: If I had only listened to what my mama said
O’hene: If I just listened to what my mama said
Nina: If I had only listened to what my mama said
O’hene: If I just listened to what my mama said

O’hene (plays during second part of middle chorus):
Mama said clean your room, mama said go to school
Mama said while at school never to act a fool
Mama said do your work, mama said God is first
Mama said love the Lord[?] never to fake[?] in church
Mama said watch your back, don’t be involved in crap
Always avoid the drugs, I mean except for [?]
Mama was always right, now what she spoke was clear
Man, if I had listened to what my mama said

VERSE 2:
One day we was all on the wall like, like 11 or 12
Wait, mama was sleep, it was a definite 12
We was just laughing and stuff, Anthony cracking us up
’til one of his customers came and they stepped to the back of the truck
I was like Ant is a nut, dude just be baggin’ on us
He should be a comedian instead of in back of that truck
That’s when I heard someone cuss, one of my homies said hush
One of the others still talking until I was like, ‘man shut up’
That’s when I heard someone say, ‘this is for my homie Trae’
(*two gunshot blasts*)
Now all my homies is running away
I was like, ‘y’all is chumps, ain’t none of y’all got a gun
Anthony probably got shot and all y’all gon’ do is just run’
That was when Anthony yelled, ‘yo man you need to get help’
I was so worried ‘bout him I completely forgot of myself
That’s when I turned to my left, pistol pointed at my head
Thought to myself, if I had listened to what mama said
(*single gunshot blast*)