We've all seen the man at the liquor store beggin' for your change
The hair on his face is dirty, dreadlocked and full of mange
He asks a man for what he could spare with shame in his eyes
'Get a job you fucking slob' is all he replied.
God forbid you ever had to walk mile in his shoes
Cos then you really might know what it's like to sing the blues
Then you really might know what it's like
Mary got pregnant from a kid named Tom who said he was in love
He said 'don't worry 'bout a thing baby doll, I'm the man you've been dreamin' of.'
But 3 months later he say he wont date her or return her calls
and she swear 'god damn if I find that man I'm cutting off his balls'
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 mile in her shoes
Then you really might know what it's like to have to choose
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 down side of up and everything between
I licked the silver spoon, drank from the golden cup and smoked the finest green
I stroke the fattest dimes at least a couple of times before I broke their hearts
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
'til late one night there was a big gun fight and Max lost his head
He pulled out his crome .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
Then you really might know what it's like to have to lose
Then you really might know what it's like