DJ Jazzy Jeff, The Fresh Prince - Parents Just Don't Understand lyrics

You know parents are the same
No matter time nor place
They don't understand that us kids
Are gonna make some mistakes
So to you other kids all across the land
There's no need to argue
Parents just don't understand

I remember one year
My mom took me school shopping
It was me, my brother, my mom, oh, my pop
And my little sister all hopped in the car
We headed downtown to the Gallery Mall
My mom started bugging with
The clothes she chose
I didn't say nothing at first
I just turned up my nose
She said, "What's wrong? This shirt cost $20"
I said, "Mom
This shirt is plaid with a butterfly collar!"
The next half hour was the same old thing


My mother buying me clothes from 1963
And then she lost her mind
And did the ultimate
I asked her for Adidas and
She bought me Zips!
I said, "Mom, what are you doing
You're ruining my rep"
She said, "You're only sixteen
You don't have a rep yet"
I said, "Mom, let's put these clothes back
Please" she said "No
You go to school to learn
Not for a fashion show"
I said, "This isn't Sha Na Na, come on Mom
I'm not Bowzer mom, please put back the
Bell-bottom Brady Bunch trousers
But if you don't want to I
Can live with that but
You gotta put back the
Double-knit reversible slacks"
She wasn't moved - everything stayed the same
Inevitably the first day of school came
I thought I could get over
I tried to play sick
But my mom said, "No, no way, uh uh
Forget it" there was nothing I could do
I tried to relax
I got dressed up in those ancient artifacts
And when I walked into school
It was just as I thought
The kids were cracking up laughing
At the clothes Mom bought
And those who weren't laughing
Still had a ball
Because they were pointing and whispering
As I walked down the hall
I got home and told my Mom how my day went
She said
"If they were laughing you don't need them
'Cause they're not good friends"
For the next six hours I tried
To explain to my Mom
That I was gonna have to go
Through this about 200 more times
So to you all the kids all across the land
There's no need to argue
Parents just don't understand

Oh-kay, here's the situation
My parents went away on a week's vacation and
They left the keys to the brand new Porsche
Would they mind? Umm, well, of course not
I'll just take it for a little spin
And maybe show it off to a couple of friends
I'll just cruise it around the neighborhood
Well, maybe I shouldn't
Yeah, of course, I should
Pay attention, here's the thick of the plot
I pulled up to the corner at
The end of my block that's when I saw this
Beautiful girlie girl walking
I picked up my car phone to
Perpetrate like I was talking
You should've seen this
Girl's bodily dimensions
I honked my horn just to get her attention
She said, "Was that for me?" i said, "yeah"
She said, "Why?" i said
"Come on and take a ride with a helluva guy"
She said, "How do I know you're not sick?
You could be some deranged lunatic"
I said, "C'mon, toots, my name is the Prince
Besides, would a lunatic have
A Porsche like this?"
She agreed and we were on our way
She was looking very good and so was I
I must say - word
We hit McDonald's, pulled into the drive
We ordered two Big Macs and
Two large fries with Cokes
She kicked her shoes off onto the floor
She said, "Drive fast, speed turns me on"
She put her hand on my knee
I put my foot on the gas
We almost got whiplash, I took off so fast
The sunroof was open, the music was high
And this girl's hand was steadily
Moving up my thigh
She had opened up three buttons
On her shirt so far
I guess that's why I didn't
Notice that police car
We're doing ninety in my Mom's new Porsche
And to make this long story short - short
When the cop pulled me over
I was scared as hell
I said, "I don't have a license
But I drive very well, officer"
I almost had a heart attack that day
Come to find out the girl
Was a twelve-year-old runaway
I was arrested, the car was impounded
There was no way for me
To avoid being grounded
My parents had to come off
From vacation to get me
I'd rather be in jail than to
Have my father hit me my parents walked in
I got my grip, I said, "Ah, Mom
Dad how was your trip?"
They didn't speak - I said
"I want to plead my case"
But my father just shoved me in
The car by my face
That was a hard ride home
I don't know how I survived
They took turns - one would beat
Me while the other was driving
I can't believe it, I just made a mistake
Well parents are the same no
Matter time nor place
So to you other kids all across the land
Take it from me
Parents just don't understand