[Intro: Jay-Z]
Mmm, you don't understand now because you're cryin, and you hurt
You'll understand soon enough
Soon enough
[Hook: Al Kooper]
Let him hold you, let him touch you
Soon you'll understand
[Verse 1: Jay-Z]
You're my best friend's sister, grown woman and all
But you see how I am around girls; I ruin 'em all
Plus your mom call me son, around you since I was small
sh**, I watched you mature, nah, this ain't right
But still when your boyfriend ditched you, life's a b**h you cried
Over my right shoulder, I told you to wipe your eyes
Take your time when you likin' a guy
Cause if he sense that your feelings too intense, his pimp'll die
I bought you earrings on your birthday
Drove you to college your first day
It must be sad, though it hurts to say
We could never be a item, don't even like him
You deserve better, this is ugly; Gina, please don't love me
There's better guys out there other than me
(You need a lawyer or a doctor or somebody like that you know?)
Like a lawyer or a doctor with a Ph.D
Think of how upset your mother and brother would be
If they found that you was huggin' me
My conscience is f**in' with me
[Hook]
[Interlude: Jay-Z]
Man, I look in the eyes of our kid
This whole life, a kid that stole life and me together
We're tryin, really tryin to make it work
I'm young, and I ain't ready, and I told you
[Verse 2: Jay-Z]
It ain't like, I ain't tell you from day one, I ain't sh**
When it comes to relationships, I don't have the patience
Now it's too late, we got a little life together
And in my mind I really want you to be my wife forever
But in the physical it's like I'mma be trife forever
A different girl every night forever; told you to leave
But you're stubborn and you love him and
No matter what, despite all the f**in' and the cheatin'
You still won't leave him, now you're grievin'
And I feel bad, believe me
But I'm young and I ain't ready, and this ain't easy
Wasn't fair to tell you to wait, so I told you to skate
You chose not to, now look at the sh** we gotta go through
Don't wanna fight, don't wanna fuss
You the mother of my baby
I don't want you to hate me, this is about us
Rather me; I ain't ready to be what you want me to be
Because I love you, I want you to leave, please
[Hook]
[Interlude: Jay-Z]
Listen ma, I mean, I seen you workin 2 or 3 jobs
Daddy left; I thought I was making things better
I made it worse
[Verse 3: Jay-Z]
Dear ma, I'm in the cell, lonely as hell
Writing this scribe, thinking bout how you must feel inside
You tried to teach me better, but I refused to grow
God damn, I ain't the young man that you used to know
You said the street claim lives, but I wanted things like
Bling-bling ice; I was wrong in hindsight
sh**, we grew apart, try to blame it on your new spouse
I know it hurt like hell the day you kicked me out
But your house is your house, I ain't respect the rules
I brought crack past your door, beefed with rival crews
And who wants to be the mother of a son who sold d**?
Co-workers saw me on the corner slinging Larry Love
Meanwhile, you working hard, like 2 or 3 jobs
Trying to feed me and my siblings, makin an honest living
Who am I kidding? I call myself easing the load
I made the load heavy, I need money for commissary
Try to understand, please
[Hook]