Where I've Been Lyrics - Mary J. Blige

1 [Spoken]

2 (To all the youth in the world that thinks nobody understands...

3 Well I understand that)

4 It's been hard for me

5 Trying strugglin' in the streets

6 But where I've been- Is no longer where I'm at

7 And where I'm going- Is not where I'm stoppin' at

8 It's been hard for me

9 Trying strugglin' in the streets

10 But where I've been- Is no longer where I'm at

11 And where I'm going- Is not where I'm stoppin' at

12 I grew up as a 70's baby

13 Brought up in poverty and sin

14 Makin' jokes at the crazy lady

15 Never acred how she was dealin' within

16 I knew all the words to

17 Micheal Jackson's album as a kid

18 And when it came to the biggest crusher

19 No he wasn't my man

20 At the age of seven years old

21 A strange thing happened to me

22 Before I even saw

23 My life had flashed before me

24 And I've got the mark to show

25 And it became a thang of beauty

26 So I gotta let you know

27 That my life, that my life

28 It's been hard for me

29 Trying strugglin' in the streets

30 But where I've been- Is no longer where I'm at

31 And where I'm going- Is not where I'm stoppin' at

32 It's been hard for me

33 Trying strugglin' in the streets

34 But where I've been- Is no longer where I'm at

35 And where I'm going- Is not where I'm stoppin' at

36 It's been hard for me

37 Trying strugglin' in the streets

38 But where I've been- Is no longer where I'm at

39 And where I'm going- Is not where I'm stoppin' at

40 Now mama's workin' hard all day

41 And she said this before she left home

42 Take care of your little brother

43 Have the place cleaned when I get home

44 All these priorities

45 Me and Tanya had to learn to be grown

46 But at the time for me

47 Being grown had seemed so lone

48 Woke up and I'm seventeen

49 With nothing going for me

50 Except the fact that I sing

51 You know it hurts so much

52 From all the sights that I've seen

53 From abusin' the hole in trust

54 You probably couldn't take some of things

55 That I've lived in my life

56 It's been hard for me

57 Trying strugglin' in the streets

58 But where I've been- Is no longer where I'm at

59 And where I'm going- Is not where I'm stoppin' at

60 It's been hard for me

61 Trying strugglin' in the streets

62 But where I've been- Is no longer where I'm at

63 And where I'm going- Is not where I'm stoppin' at

64 It's been hard for me

65 Trying strugglin' in the streets

66 But where I've been- Is no longer where I'm at

67 And where I'm going- Is not where I'm stoppin' at

68 It's hard and the street's a jungle (I'm telling you, I'm telling you)

69 Especially with your pretty colors (I'm telling you, I'm telling you)

70 So stay low and keep it humble (I'm telling you, I'm telling you)

71 Black women hold it down, keep your feet on the ground

72 Black men keep searching and you'll be found

73 It's been hard for me

74 Trying strugglin' in the streets

75 But where I've been- Is no longer where I'm at

76 And where I'm going- Is not where I'm stoppin' at

77 It's been hard for me

78 Trying strugglin' in the streets

79 But where I've been- Is no longer where I'm at

80 And where I'm going- Is not where I'm stoppin' at

81 [Rap by Eve]

82 In this world of continuous bullshit and full clips

83 Seems all we have to pass down is being useless

84 Broken homes, babies all alone, parent's never there

85 No food, no clothes to wear, anger everywhere

86 Ain't no values being taught, no productive thoughts

87 Jealousy rules the world, take shit at any cost

88 Gotta change our state of life, keep it worth livin'

89 God gave us voices to speak and that's our way of givin'

90 It's so much bigger than the furs and the jewels

91 What about encouragin' the youth to do well

92 What about givin' back- what about unifying

93 Shit we all black- get it together

94 Everybody's got their trials and tribulations

95 Learn to change the negative to positive situations

96 Don't hold the lessons that you learn

97 Pass it on and except the blessings that could earn

98 It's been hard for me

99 Trying strugglin' in the streets

100 But where I've been- Is no longer where I'm at

101 And where I'm going- Is not where I'm stoppin' at