What It's Like

We've all seen the man at the liquor store beggin' for your change The hair on his face is dirty, dreadlocked and full of mange He asks a man for what he could spare with shame in his eyes But, "Get a job, you fuckin' slob!" is all he replied Well, God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in his shoes 'Cause then you really might know what it's like to sing the blues Yeah, then you really might know what it's like (what it's like, what it's like) Yeah, then you really might know what it's like (what it's like, what it's like) Yeah, then you really might know what it's like (what it's like, what it's like) Yeah, then you really might know what it's like Mary got pregnant from a kid named Tom, he said he was in love He said, "Don't worry about a thing, baby doll, I'm the man you've been dreamin' of" But three months later, he say he won't date her or return her call And she swear, "Goddamn, if I find that man, cuttin' off his balls!" And then she heads for the clinic and she gets some static walkin' through the door They call her a killer and they call her a sinner and they call her a whore But God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in her shoes 'Cause then you really might know what it's like to have to choose Well, then you really might know what it's like (what it's like, what it's like) Then you really might know what it's like (what it's like, what it's like) Yeah, then you really might know what it's like (what it's like, what it's like) Then you really might know what it's like I've seen a rich man beg, I've seen a good man sin, I've seen a tough man cry I've seen a loser win and a sad man grin, I heard an honest man lie I've seen the good side of bad and the down side of up and everything between I licked the silver spoon, drank from the golden cup and smoked the finest green I stroked the fattest dimes at least a couple of times before I broke their heart You know where it ends, yo, it usually depends on where you start (Good mornin') I knew this kid named Max, he used to get fat stacks out on the corner with drugs He liked to hang out late, he liked to get shitfaced and keep the pace with thugs Until late one night, there was a big gunfight and Max lost his head He pulled out his chrome .45, talked some shit and wound up dead And now his wife and his kids are caught in midst of all of this pain You know it crumbles that way, at least that's what they say when you play the game Well, God forbid you ever had to wake up to hear the news 'Cause then you really might know what it's like to have to lose Yeah, then you really might know what it's like (what it's like, what it's like) Yeah, then you really might know what it's like (what it's like, what it's like) Yeah, then you really might know what it's like (what it's like, what it's like) To have to lose