Mockingbird

Original

Yeah.

I know sometimes things may not always make sense to you right now.

But hey, what daddy always tell you?

Straighten up, little soldier.

Stiffen up that upper lip.

What you crying about?

You got me.

Hailie, I know you miss your mom, and I know you miss your dad when I'm gone, but

I'm trying to give you the life that I never had.

I can see you're sad even when you smile, even when you laugh. I can see it in your eyes.

Deep inside, you wanna cry 'cause you're scared I ain't there. Daddy's with you in your prayers.

No more crying, wipe them tears. Daddy's here, no more nightmares.

We gon' pull together through it, we gon' do it. Lainie, uncle's crazy, ain't he?

Yeah, but he loves you, girl, and you better know it.

What we got in this world when it spins, when it swirls, when it whirls, when it twirls?

Two little beautiful girls looking puzzled, in a daze. I know it's confusing you. Daddy's always on the move.

Mama's always on the news.

I try to keep you sheltered from it, but somehow it seems the harder that I try to do that, the more it backfires on me.

All the things growing up as Daddy that he had to see, Daddy don't want you to see, but you see just as much as he did.

We did not plan it to be this way, your mother and me, but things have got so bad between us, I don't see us ever being together ever again like we used to be when we was teenagers.

But then, of course, everything always happens for a reason.

I guess it was never meant to be, but it's just something we have no control over, and that's what destiny is.

But no more worries, rest your head and go to sleep. Maybe one day we'll wake up and this'll all just be a dream.

Now hush, little baby, don't you cry. Everything's gonna be alright.

Stiffen that upper lip up, little lady.

I told ya, Daddy's here to hold ya through the night.

I know Mommy's not here right now, and we don't know why we feel how we feel inside.

It may seem a little crazy, pretty baby, but I promise Mama's gon' be alright. It's funny. I remember back one year when Daddy had no money.

Mommy wrapped the Christmas presents up and stuck 'em under the tree and said some of 'em were from me 'cause Daddy couldn't buy 'em. I'll never forget that Christmas.

I sat up the whole night crying 'cause Daddy felt like a bum.

See, Daddy had a job, but his job was to keep the food on the table for you and Mom.

And at the time, every house that we lived in either kept getting broken into and robbed or shot up on the block.

And your mom was saving money for you in a jar, trying to start a piggy bank for you so you could go to college.

Almost had a thousand dollars 'til someone broke in and stole it.

And I know it hurt so bad, it broke your mama's heart. And it seemed like everything was just starting to fall apart.

Mom and Dad was arguing a lot, so Mama moved back onto Chalmers in a flat one-bedroom apartment, and Dad moved back to the other side of 8 Mile on Novara.

And that's when Daddy went to California with his CD and met Dr.

Dre, then flew you and Mama out to see me. But Daddy had to work. You and Mama had to leave me. Then you started seeing

Daddy on the TV, and Mama didn't like it.

And you and Lainie were too young to understand it. Papa was a rolling stone.

Mama developed a habit, and it all happened too fast for either one of us to grab it.

I'm just sorry you were there and had to witness it firsthand, 'cause all I ever wanted to do was just make you proud.

Now I'm sitting in this empty house, just reminiscing, looking at your baby pictures. It just trips me out to see how much you both have grown.

It's almost like you're sisters now. Wow, I guess you pretty much are, and Daddy's still here.

Lainie, I'm talking to you too. Daddy's still here.

I like the sound of that, yeah. It's got a ring to it, don't it? Shh, Mama's only gone for the moment.

Now hush, little baby, don't you cry. Everything's gonna be alright.

Stiffen that upper lip up, little lady.

I told ya, Daddy's here to hold ya through the night.

I know Mommy's not here right now, and we don't know why we feel how we feel inside.

It may seem a little crazy, pretty baby, but I promise Mama's gon' be alright. And if you ask me to, Daddy's gonna buy you a mockingbird.

I'ma give you the world. I'ma buy a diamond ring for you. I'ma sing for you.

I'll do anything for you to see you smile.

And if that mockingbird don't sing and that ring don't shine, I'ma break that birdie's neck.

I'll go back to the jeweler who sold it to ya and make him eat every carat. Don't fuck with Dad.