Released: September 11, 2011
Songwriter: Eero Koivistoinen J. Cole
Producer: J. Cole
[Intro]
Yeah
Yeah
[Verse 1]
Look, I just shed tears homie and no I ain't too proud to admit it
Just seen my father for the first time in a minute
When I say a minute I mean years man
Damn, a whale could have swam in them tears fam
Cause as I left em' I reflected on my younger days
When it was just me and my brother and my mother played
Father, ‘cause no other man bothered
Not even my biological, it never seemed logical
But I accepted it 'cause I ain't know no better
Thought I was brighter than a Polo sweater
No pops was like Martin with no Coretta
So many things you could have told me
And saved me the trouble of letting my mistakes show me
I feel like you barely know me
And that's a shame ‘cause our last name is the same
That blood type flowing through our veins is the same
My mama left you and it may be that anger's to blame
But that's no excuse, only you and God know the truth
And why you only call monthly, barely ever saw me
Spend some summers with you and played with my cousin Maury
Maybe I should be telling you “fuck you” ‘cause you selfish
But I want a father so bad, I can't help but...
[Chorus 1]
Break down
I break down
Can't help but break down
I break down
[Verse 2]
Yeah, I never thought I'd see my mama on that shit, man
It's fucking with her body, now she sick, damn
I wanted a big house with a white picket fence and a pool
Who would have ever thought that it would come to this, man?
Quicksand is what this life feel like
That shit these rappers kick is nothing like real life
You made a milli off of serving hard white? Yeah right
My mama tell you what addicted to that pipe feel like
Stupid niggas, I heard the cops be shooting niggas
I swear to God, wish I could bulletproof my niggas
Can't get no jobs, but they still recruiting niggas
We trying to stand tall when it get too crucial niggas
[Chorus 2]
Break down, we break down
We break down, we break down
Break the break down
[Verse 3]
Yeah, He's serving time, locked down
And she don't want nobody to know
His daughter 25 pounds
By the time he get out, she gon' be 4
Now will his girl stay down?
Ain't no doubt she love him, yeah that's for sure
But temptation stays round
And if she strayed, how could he ever know? Never know
And so, she goes to the club on the weekend
A little freaking, but them niggas holla, but she never speakin'
But tonight I see the devil creeping
'Cause she been lonely, she ain't felt a man in seven seasons
Damn! She doin the best that she can
Her mama tellin' her to find another man
She college educated with a felon boyfriend
That's what she thinkin' tonight
Maybe she's right, but please
[Chorus 3]
Stay down mama
Gotta be strong, don't break down mama
Please
Stay down mama
Gotta be strong, don't break down mama
Don't break down
Yeah, don't break down
Don't break down
Don't break down
Uh, break the break down...
[Outro]
Break, break down
Steady break me down
Break, break down
Steady break me down
Break, break down
Steady break me down
Break, break down
Steady break me down...
Yeah
Yeah
[Verse 1]
Look, I just shed tears homie and no I ain't too proud to admit it
Just seen my father for the first time in a minute
When I say a minute I mean years man
Damn, a whale could have swam in them tears fam
Cause as I left em' I reflected on my younger days
When it was just me and my brother and my mother played
Father, ‘cause no other man bothered
Not even my biological, it never seemed logical
But I accepted it 'cause I ain't know no better
Thought I was brighter than a Polo sweater
No pops was like Martin with no Coretta
So many things you could have told me
And saved me the trouble of letting my mistakes show me
I feel like you barely know me
And that's a shame ‘cause our last name is the same
That blood type flowing through our veins is the same
My mama left you and it may be that anger's to blame
But that's no excuse, only you and God know the truth
And why you only call monthly, barely ever saw me
Spend some summers with you and played with my cousin Maury
Maybe I should be telling you “fuck you” ‘cause you selfish
But I want a father so bad, I can't help but...
[Chorus 1]
Break down
I break down
Can't help but break down
I break down
[Verse 2]
Yeah, I never thought I'd see my mama on that shit, man
It's fucking with her body, now she sick, damn
I wanted a big house with a white picket fence and a pool
Who would have ever thought that it would come to this, man?
Quicksand is what this life feel like
That shit these rappers kick is nothing like real life
You made a milli off of serving hard white? Yeah right
My mama tell you what addicted to that pipe feel like
Stupid niggas, I heard the cops be shooting niggas
I swear to God, wish I could bulletproof my niggas
Can't get no jobs, but they still recruiting niggas
We trying to stand tall when it get too crucial niggas
[Chorus 2]
Break down, we break down
We break down, we break down
Break the break down
[Verse 3]
Yeah, He's serving time, locked down
And she don't want nobody to know
His daughter 25 pounds
By the time he get out, she gon' be 4
Now will his girl stay down?
Ain't no doubt she love him, yeah that's for sure
But temptation stays round
And if she strayed, how could he ever know? Never know
And so, she goes to the club on the weekend
A little freaking, but them niggas holla, but she never speakin'
But tonight I see the devil creeping
'Cause she been lonely, she ain't felt a man in seven seasons
Damn! She doin the best that she can
Her mama tellin' her to find another man
She college educated with a felon boyfriend
That's what she thinkin' tonight
Maybe she's right, but please
[Chorus 3]
Stay down mama
Gotta be strong, don't break down mama
Please
Stay down mama
Gotta be strong, don't break down mama
Don't break down
Yeah, don't break down
Don't break down
Don't break down
Uh, break the break down...
[Outro]
Break, break down
Steady break me down
Break, break down
Steady break me down
Break, break down
Steady break me down
Break, break down
Steady break me down...
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