Released: November 24, 2014

Songwriter: Geoffro Cause Prince Charlez Sidney Swift Mike Caren Stephen Bishop Beyoncé Adam Amezaga Derek Dixie Cook Classics Hit-Boy MIKE DEAN

Producer: Hit-Boy MIKE DEAN Ariel Rechtshaid Derek Dixie Beyoncé Cook Classics Mike Caren

[Verse 1]
Mama, I understand your many sleepless nights
When you sit and you think about Father
Or how you tried to be the perfect wife

[Pre-Chorus]
You used to dress and fix your hair
Then you smiled through your tears
In the mirror you would stare
And say a prayer
Like, "I wish he said I'm beautiful
I wish it didn't hurt at all
I don't know how I got here
I was once the one who had his heart"

[Chorus]
Until you had enough then you took that ring off
You took that ring off
So tired of the lies and trying, fighting, crying
Took that ring off
Oh, now the fun begins
Dust yourself off and you love again
You found a new man now you shine and you're fine
Like it's my time, you took that ring off

[Verse 2]
Mama (so sexy), you live and learn, that's just the way life goes
(Uh, you a killer, you a killer, killer)
Always know that you've got a daughter
That's so, so proud you took the high road
(You a killer, so sexy)

[Pre-Chorus]
You used to dress and fix your hair
Then you smiled through your tears
In the mirror you would stare
And say a prayer
Like, "I wish he said I'm beautiful
I wish it didn't hurt at all
I don't know how I got here
I was once the one who had his heart"

[Chorus]
Until you had enough then you took that ring off
You took that ring off
So tired of the lies and trying, fighting, crying
Took that ring off
Oh, now the fun begins
Dust yourself off and you love again
You found a new man now you shine and you're fine
Like it's my time, you took that ring off

[Bridge]
After all your tears
After all that pain's all clear
Mama, after all them years
We can start all over again
Mama, and now it all makes sense
Letting go is never the end
Mama, we can love again
This is where freedom begins

[Outro]
Mama, so put your love on top
You gon' shine and put your love on top
It's your time to put your love on top
Everybody put your love on top
Aye, love on top
Aye, love on top
It's your time to put your love on top
Girl you so fine, put your love on top

[Outro Skit: Tina Knowles]
If you're going through it, just know it's called "going THROUGH it"
You're not gonna get stuck there, you're not gonna die
You're gonna survive

Beyoncé

In the twenty-first century, no pop star was as poised, as polished, or as generally fierce as Beyoncé. She scored early success with Destiny’s Child, who started out as a sexier and sassier (if less adult) version of TLC, then steadily became more and more of a vehicle for Beyoncé’s operatic vocals and general diva-tude, which may have been the plan all along.

Whether appearing in TV spots, co-starring in films like Dreamgirls, or killing it every night on stadium tours, Beyoncé was omnipresent in the 2000s. Almost everybody, Beygency member or otherwise, loved shiny, hip-hop-fueled hits like “Crazy in Love”, and “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”. Moving into the 2010s, Beyoncé fights on, gaining more and more traction in pop culture with her work and music.

She has made a significant impact upon the music landscape in general with her recent albums 4 and BEYONCÉ, which explored complex themes like motherhood, feminism, marriage, sexuality, and doubt in a greater depth. With Lemonade, she went a step further—the fierce, intimate exploration of marriage, infidelity, and forgiveness was her most personal and musically daring album yet.