Released: January 13, 1998

Songwriter: LL Cool J Tone Poke George Michael

Producer: Trackmasters

[Intro]
I swear to tell the truth and nothin but the truth...
So help me God
I just felt like tellin the story of my life
Felt like, maybe somebody could be inspired, you know?
We all feel pain, we all go through things
But it's time to overcome all that

[Verse 1]
If your plane crashed in the water and everybody died
Would you drown on purpose or try to survive?
I was born handicapped my arm wouldn't move
They called me a cripple pops caught an attitude
Beat my moms smoked lye drove trucks
My moms had a miscarriage, he didn't give a fuck
He sniffed some coke, come home
Beat up on my moms cause she's talkin on the phone
Come on

[Chorus]
(all I ever wanted)
All I ever wanted
(all I ever needed)
All I ever needed
(was a father)
Was a father
(that's all)
That's all!
(all I ever wanted)
All I ever wanted
(all I ever needed)
All I ever needed... was a father
(was a father)

[Verse 2]
Moms got tired of the beatings said, "Yo, we got to go"
Packed up her bags we bounced out the do'
She said, "I ain't takin these whippin's no mo'
I wanna live to see my little Todd grow"
I remember tear drops on my pops face
Lookin down at me standin on the staircase
Handsome brother with a smooth goatee
Makes me wonder why he act so ugly, you feelin me?
(I'm feelin you)

[Chorus]
(all I ever wanted)
All I ever wanted
(all I ever needed)
All I ever needed
(was a father)
Was a father
(that's all)
That's all!
(all I ever wanted)
All I ever wanted
(all I ever needed)
All I ever needed... was a father
(was a father)

[Verse 3]
My pops got drunk when me and my moms bounced
Swigged some Jack Dan', sniffed up a ounce
Grabbed the shotty left Long Isle for Queens
Possesed by a demon... a devil it seemed
I was too young to understand the risk
When your moms come home off the midnight shift
She turned around heard the shotgun click
My pops said, "You think that you could leave me {bitch}?"
He blasted my moms in the back
She fell down screamin I can't forget that
My grandfather tried to close the do'
He got shot ten times in the stomach yo, for real

[Chorus]
(all I ever wanted)
All I ever wanted
(all I ever needed)
All I ever needed
(was a father)
Was a father
(that's all)
That's all!
(all I ever wanted)
All I ever wanted
(all I ever needed)
All I ever needed... was a father
(was a father)

[Verse 4]
My head was spinnin, I had never seen blood
Four years old, this don't feel like love
Anyway, pops dissapeared
Grandpops and moms healed up over the years
This therapist got up in her head
Led her to believe without him she'd be dead
You know, they fell in love with one another
Everything seemed right that's word to mother
Until I started gettin beatings everday
Sometimes for going outside to play
Late at night on my knees I'd pray
A young child, wishin the pain would go away
Dad where was you when he made me strip
Beat with belts like a slave with a whip
Kicked me down steps outside in the snow
Punched me in the chest stomped me out on the flo'
That's just the tip of the iceberg look
It's too long for a song but perfect for a book
Word is bond, that's real baby

[Chorus]
(all I ever wanted)
All I ever wanted
(all I ever needed)
All I ever needed
(was a father)
Was a father
(that's all)
That's all!
(all I ever wanted)
All I ever wanted
(all I ever needed)
All I ever needed... was a father
(was a father)

LL Cool J

Deriving his name from the statement “Ladies Love Cool James,” LL Cool J became a superstar rapper after his Def Jam debut in 1984. He mixed a hardcore hip-hop style from songs like “I’m Bad” with R&B style on songs like “I Need Love,” which led him to multi-platinum success and several awards. He would later venture into movies and television, write several books, and start different business ventures.

Born January 14, 1968, Queens, New York native James Todd Smith began rapping at the age of nine and started to seriously pursue rapping when he was 16 years old after his grandfather bought him music equipment, which he used to create a demo tape that was sent to numerous labels. He was signed by upstart independent label Def Jam, working with founders Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin to release his debut single “I Need a Beat” in 1984, which sold over 100,000 copies. This success helped Def Jam secure a distribution deal with Columbia Records.

LL released his debut album Radio in 1985, which achieved platinum status with help from the hit singles “I Can’t Live Without My Radio” and “Rock the Bells.” After working exclusively with Rick Rubin on his debut, LL worked with the West Coast production crew L.A. Posse on his second album Bigger and Deffer, released in 1987. The album featured two of LL’s signature the hard-edged “I’m Bad” and the “rap ballad” “I Need Love,” which was a Top 20 pop hit, helping the album achieve double platinum status.