Make Me Wanna Holler

My mother used to whore herself

And my father would reap the benefits of her labor

It was almost as if she was absent

Absent from her own life

I remember, she would scrub the floors for the white folks

Just to come home to cook and to clean for the man who broke her

And I love to watch her dance on the tunes oh the soul stations, yeah

Just to ease her mind

But my mother, she was vindictive in her own fashion

So she passed down to me her traits

Like that of her brown eyes and her dark hair

She passed down to me her sadness

(Make me wanna holler)

The sadness fills my heart

(Make me wanna holler)

You make me wanna holler, yes

(Make me wanna holler)

Baby (Make me wanna holler)

My child will one day ask me, "What will I be?"

As a child I promised myself

I'd never be like my mother or my father

I would ask myself, "Did he feel so much pain?"

"That it would make him wanna hurt another?"

But there was no excuse, there was no excuse to make up for the pain

That I knew my mother felt

But somewhere, my destiny came that I too became a slave to my heart

Wanting love so badly that I'd do anything no matter the shame

(Make me wanna holler)

I, help me

(Make me wanna holler)

Tell me

(Make me wanna holler)

I'm so sorry

(Makes me wanna holler)

So sorry

Why?

I never got the nerve to ask my father, "Why?"

But my mother, she would say she stayed for my brother and myself

But I would have sold my soul just to share in one day

Of my mother's desired happiness

(When night fell)

Sometimes when night fell I'd close my eyes and I'd hide

(Close your eyes)

When they would yell and scream, when my father would paint her

With a dark face of being belittled, disrespected and set aside

His liquor, the salve for the unseen wounds

I learned so much from him, what did I learn?

How to hurt all of those who try to get too close

(Make me wanna holler)

Make me wanna holler, sometimes I get so

(Make me wanna holler)

I just don't understand, why?

(Make me wanna holler)

Tell me why?

(So sorry for the pain)

(Make me wanna holler) So sorry

I'm so sorry

Just play for me

Play for me

She would close her eyes and cry

He would close his heart and hide

She would close her eyes and cry

After all this time, nothing's changed

(Make me wanna holler)

Make me want a holler, yes

(Make me wanna holler)

Sell my soul just to see you happy, so happy (So sorry)

(Make me wanna holler)

So sorry, so sorry, so sorry

(Make me wanna holler)

(So sorry for the pain)

I always thought my mother deserved so much more

But I never knew how to fix that, ay

I drown myself in guilt, I just don't know what to do

No, mama, I love you