Released: June 20, 1988
Songwriter: Teddy Riley Bobby Brown Gene Griffin
Producer: Teddy Riley Gene Griffin Bobby Brown
[Intro]
Get busy!
[Chorus]
Everybody's talkin' all this stuff about me (Now now)
Why don't they just let me live? (Ooh)
I don't need permission, make my own decisions (Oh!)
That's my prerogative
[Verse 1]
They say I'm crazy, I really don't care
That's my prerogative
They say I'm nasty, but I don't give a damn
Gettin' girls is how I live
Some ask me questions, why am I so real?
But they don't understand me
Or really don't know the deal about a brother
Tryin' hard to make it right
Not long ago, before I win this fight (Sing)
[Chorus]
Everybody's talkin' all this stuff about me
Why don't they just let me live? (Tell me why)
I don't need permission, make my own decisions (Oh!)
That's my prerogative
[Refrain]
It's the way that I wanna live (It's my prerogative)
I can do just what I feel (It's my prerogative)
No one can tell me what to do (It's my prerogative)
'Cause what I'm doing, I'm doing for you, now
[Verse 2]
Don't get me wrong, I'm really not souped
Ego trips is not my thing
All these strange relationships really gets me down
I see nothing wrong spreadin' myself around (Sing)
[Chorus]
Everybody's talkin' all this stuff about me (Yeah)
Why don't they just let me live? (Tell me why)
I don't need permission, make my own decisions
That's my prerogative
[Refrain]
It's my prerogative (It's my prerogative)
I can do what I wanna do (It's my prerogative)
Can live my life (It's my prerogative)
I'm doing it just for you (It's my prerogative)
[Bridge]
Tell me, tell me, why can't I live my life (Live my life)
Without all of the things that people say?
[Interlude]
Yo Teddy, kick it like this
Oh, no, no
I can do what I wanna do
Me and you
Together, together, together, together, together
[Chorus]
Everybody's talkin' all this stuff about me (Everybody's talkin')
Why don't they just let me live?
(Why don't they just let me live, girl?)
I don't need permission, make my own decisions
(I don't need permission from nobody)
That's my prerogative
Everybody's talkin' all this stuff about me (Everybody's talkin')
Why don't they just let me live? (Now)
I don't need permission, make my own decisions
That's my prerogative
[Outro]
What is this, a blizzard, that I can't have money in my pocket
And people not talk about me?
This world is a trip; I don't know what's goin' on these days
Got this person over here talkin' about me, this person
Ay, listen, let me tell you somethin', it's my prerogative
I can do what I wanna do
I made this money, you didn't; right, Ted?
We outta here!
It's my, it's my, it's my, it's my
It's my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my
It's my...Woo!
It's my prerogative, it's my...
It's my, it's my, my, my
It's my prerogative, can't you see, baby doll?
Ha, why you wanna talk about me?
Tell me, tell me why...
Get busy!
[Chorus]
Everybody's talkin' all this stuff about me (Now now)
Why don't they just let me live? (Ooh)
I don't need permission, make my own decisions (Oh!)
That's my prerogative
[Verse 1]
They say I'm crazy, I really don't care
That's my prerogative
They say I'm nasty, but I don't give a damn
Gettin' girls is how I live
Some ask me questions, why am I so real?
But they don't understand me
Or really don't know the deal about a brother
Tryin' hard to make it right
Not long ago, before I win this fight (Sing)
[Chorus]
Everybody's talkin' all this stuff about me
Why don't they just let me live? (Tell me why)
I don't need permission, make my own decisions (Oh!)
That's my prerogative
[Refrain]
It's the way that I wanna live (It's my prerogative)
I can do just what I feel (It's my prerogative)
No one can tell me what to do (It's my prerogative)
'Cause what I'm doing, I'm doing for you, now
[Verse 2]
Don't get me wrong, I'm really not souped
Ego trips is not my thing
All these strange relationships really gets me down
I see nothing wrong spreadin' myself around (Sing)
[Chorus]
Everybody's talkin' all this stuff about me (Yeah)
Why don't they just let me live? (Tell me why)
I don't need permission, make my own decisions
That's my prerogative
[Refrain]
It's my prerogative (It's my prerogative)
I can do what I wanna do (It's my prerogative)
Can live my life (It's my prerogative)
I'm doing it just for you (It's my prerogative)
[Bridge]
Tell me, tell me, why can't I live my life (Live my life)
Without all of the things that people say?
[Interlude]
Yo Teddy, kick it like this
Oh, no, no
I can do what I wanna do
Me and you
Together, together, together, together, together
[Chorus]
Everybody's talkin' all this stuff about me (Everybody's talkin')
Why don't they just let me live?
(Why don't they just let me live, girl?)
I don't need permission, make my own decisions
(I don't need permission from nobody)
That's my prerogative
Everybody's talkin' all this stuff about me (Everybody's talkin')
Why don't they just let me live? (Now)
I don't need permission, make my own decisions
That's my prerogative
[Outro]
What is this, a blizzard, that I can't have money in my pocket
And people not talk about me?
This world is a trip; I don't know what's goin' on these days
Got this person over here talkin' about me, this person
Ay, listen, let me tell you somethin', it's my prerogative
I can do what I wanna do
I made this money, you didn't; right, Ted?
We outta here!
It's my, it's my, it's my, it's my
It's my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my
It's my...Woo!
It's my prerogative, it's my...
It's my, it's my, my, my
It's my prerogative, can't you see, baby doll?
Ha, why you wanna talk about me?
Tell me, tell me why...
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