[Verse 1 Intro: Josh Bell]
Dear son
I hope this letter finds you well
If you're reading this now, you just turned eighteen
As I write this, I'm in the hospital by your mother's side
She just gave birth to you, our precious baby boy
And if the Lord treats us well, she'll give us many more
You know, you have your mother's eyes, they're beautiful
Happy birthday, and congratulations, son
You're a man now
[Verse 1: Obasi]
Dear son
I hope this letter finds you well
Hope your life's been heaven everywhere that mine's been hell
Hope you been achieving what I only daydreamed
'Cause if you're reading this now, you just turned eighteen
It's hard to put down in words how much you mean to me
'Cause everything comes after your birth feels like a dream to me
I'm writing in the hospital, I'm by your momma's side
Tears still streaming from my eyes, you know she almost died?
You know it could have been just us alone, no ma, no wife?
Hope you love her with your life, that woman's on your side
She strong, she fought for you when the doctor said abort—
She said no way in hell, said she trusted in the Lord
I know it's cause we poor, that's why she barely got prenatal—
That's why when you get rich, you put your momma on your payroll
She gave birth to you, child, our precious baby boy
And if the Lord treat us well, she'll give us many more
I mean of course, as many as we can support
You'll hand your brothers hand-me-downs, save everything we can afford
I know that love's a war, but I hope that we can stand the course
The three of us a family now—we can't withstand divorce
You know you got your momma's eyes?
They're beautiful. And innocent, don't let them tell you lies
Don't let them call you nothing else before you can decide;
Don't matter where your pants hang, they can't change the man inside
You ain't no criminal, no n***a; you a samurai
A broad and empty canvas—your potential can't be standardized
Happy birthday and congratulations, son
You a black man now, that means your struggle's just begun
[Chorus: Brynn Elliott]
No holding it back
Or hiding the fact
It's white and it's black, I
Write to express my love
Write to address my pain
I know that you get my love
No way to finesse my shame
But I know it goes deeper
I know it goes deeper
I know it goes . .
Read between the lines
Read between the lines
No fancy letters or headers
If you'd rather know me better
Just read between the lines
Read between the lines
Read between the lines
Read between the lines
If you'd rather know me better
Just read between the lines
[Verse 2 Intro: Josh Bell]
This letter won't be long
I just want to encourage you to live a life that you'll be able to look back upon with pride
When you have a wife, love her as I've loved your mother
When you have a job, work with integrity and honesty
My father told me something I remember well
He said if you treat others with respect, they'll respect you in turn
Walk in my footsteps, as I did my father's, and rest assured, you will find favor in life
And until the Lord calls me home, I will always be here for you, in good times and bad
Love
Your father
[Verse 2: Obasi]
And son
I know this letter might be long
But I swear that this is scary—I don't wanna get it wrong;
I done made mistakes. Ran into trouble, I was eighteen too
I seen brains and wasn’t no stranger, was my ace boon coon
Playing games and chasing danger and that may seem cool
Till you turn around and see that danger's chasing you
It ain't right, I know them white boys may fight and get high
But if they catch you with a blunt, you'll tell my wife ’n ’em bye!
No lie: the police'll treat you like an animal
The courts are out to get you, want to eat you like a cannibal
The heaviness perpetual; You gon’ wonder why you ain't succumb
I promise you sometimes the anger gon’ make you wanna strangle 'em!
I just want to encourage you to live a life that you'll be able to look back upon with pride
And when you have a wife, love her like I love your mother
Give her your all and don't you ever go and touch another
I guarantee that woman's better than you
She seeing struggles every day that you ain't never been through
They don't respect you; they don't pay her;
If she ain't cute, they gon' play her;
Rap music your refuge; But the rappers, they degrade her
But she handles it with grace—I don't know how
And she gon' love you anyways, 'cause she knows her vows
But don't you make her walk that aisle, promise under God
That she gon' be your partner, till you know that you can get a job
And when you get a job, work it with integrity
The world ain't always honest, but I'm telling you, you better be
My father told me something I remember well
He said fair is for the fairy tales, ferries, and the very pale
Then he said something 'bout, "Boy empty the garbage pail
‘Fore I make you go get a switch so I can whip your hairy tail!"
What I'm tryna say is, no one else can make you pull the trigger
And puffing out your chest won't never make you any bigger
Follow my footstep like I followed my dad's before, and rest assured
The world may never love you anymore, but you gon' soar
And you will find favor with the Lord. And of course
If the Lord don't call me home
Or government don't call my phone
Or police don't catch me at the curb
Break my spine, claim no one heard
The screams, or don't plant weed and make me plea
Or shoot at me and watch me bleed
Or kneel on me and I can't breathe
(Oh father please)
Then I'll be there for you
In the good times and the bad
When you're happy or you're sad
Love
Dad
[Chorus: Brynn Elliott]
No holding it back
Or hiding the fact
It's white and it's black, I
Write to express my love
Write to address my pain
I know that you get my love
No way to finesse my shame
But I know it goes deeper
I know it goes deeper
I know it goes . .
Read between the lines
Read between the lines
No fancy letters or headers
If you'd rather know me better
Just read between the lines
Read between the lines
Read between the lines
Read between the lines
If you'd rather know me better
Just read between the lines
