Pharoahe Monch, Erykah Badu - Hold On lyrics

"You're beautiful, you know that?" "Uh, huh"
"Do you know that?" "Yes"
"You do?" "Uh, huh"
"You know when those kids tease you?" "Uh
Huh" "Don't you ever worry about that
Because you're very beautiful
Do you know you're beautiful?" "Uh, huh"
"Are you ready?" "Ma, I love you"
"I love you"

He pushed down and called her black and ugly
She asked, "Why must you tease me?"
He laughed at her, said, "You're from Africa
Your hair is peasy
Your skin is dark and greasy, and plus
You are so beneath me"
Please trust me, it wasn't easy for Diamond
It scarred her deeply
Plays like a Fender bass to myself, thought
How much does gender play?
Rememberin' such hatred at this tender age
If I could send a mental page
My thoughts would end the rage
Reminiscent of the looks to her
In class I gave, my eyes would say

Hold on, I'm sure
There's so much more to live for
If you hold on, things'll change
So come on, be strong and hold on, I'm sure
There's so much more to live for
As you grow strong, things'll change no pain
(No more pain) , no gain (No more pain)

Please be willin' to fight for your will
Despite writings from William Lynch
Millions tried to rise like helium
But died in the fields and the trenches
Cries from the killing is senseless
Eyes to the ceiling, it quenches
A thirst and a feeling that's endless
The prize like a rain that rinses the soul
And cleanses your mind from
White picketed fences
Heads up your ass, splinters in face
Mentally ridin' benches
The masters, pastors
Disastrous but fascist bastards
They crafted this hazardous plan
That still has us broken and battered
We shoulder the struggle with the
Weight of a boulder that muffles the sound
Of provocative thinking
The pieces of puzzles incompleted
Only deleted
To be pushed to the back of your mind
Like a hairline that has receded
Now we repeated the process
But never weeded the problem out
Heeded the warnings
But never proceeded to solve it
No forward progress
It's obvious the soul is gone
I meditate and pray that these words
Will somehow allow you to

Hold on, I'm sure
There's so much more to live for
If you hold on, things'll change
So come on, be strong and hold on, I'm sure
There's so much more to live for
As you grow strong, things'll change no pain
(No more pain) , no gain (No more pain)

See, now Diamond is priceless
Timeless, how she maneuvers like Heimlich
In this new world, it reminds me of Isis
She knows now that her complexion
Is a holy device
A protection from UV rays in
This negative time of crisis
Like a knife through butter slices
Easily to anger, she reacts pious
Like a cell protecting it'self from a virus
Twice is strong is her demeanor
Now she is righteous
God is what you see now when
You peer inside her eyelids

Hold on, I'm sure
There's so much more to live for
If you hold on, things'll change
So come on, be strong and hold on, I'm sure
There's so much more to live for
As you grow strong, things'll change no pain
(No more pain) , no gain (No more pain)

You're so beautiful
You can change this world
If you want to girl oh, ooh
Now come on, hold on grow strong