[Intro: Cee-Lo]
Mmm
This particular song right here is
Dedicated to the Black woman
And it doesn't pertain to all Black women
Some of y'all disrespect y'all selves 'cause you don't know who you are in the first place
This is out of common respect for all women, period
Word up
Like this song
Yo

[Verse 1: Cee-Lo]
I'm quite single
And occasionally, I mingle
But aside from all the rest
She sparks my interest
No, ma'am, I don't know you
Just offering the common respect I feel I owe you
Also some conversation, companionship, common ground, and common sense
There's no such thing as coincidence
In me finding you here
And I really hate screaming in your ear
So some other time, okay?
I waited a day, hello?
This is Carlito from a couple of days ago, you sound tired
Forgive me if I've called you too late
But what better time to relate mind-state?
Where could I begin?
Has anyone ever told you you got beautiful skin?
You're more than welcome, what do you desire within?
I just wanna be, there's no need to put titles on you and me
Those are limitations, living and learning are our only obligations
Equality, honesty, independence, intelligence, emotion, and devotion
Humbly seeking to hear God when he's speaking
At one time, my mind just couldn't conceive
A woman had to dress a certain way to believe
But in the same breath, allow me to say
That if you believed, young lady, you wouldn't dress that way
And I was attracted to your class, I couldn't see all your ass
And I was very content and you deserved every complement
Now, remember our indifferences make us the same, you gotta have some game
Or you ain't even gon' be able to take care of yourself, uh
And, love, when I look at you, I see my reflection
So I offer my love, affection, and protection
Shorty, you dead fine, but the bottom line is
You still my sister
[Chorus: Cee-Lo]
Well, I say, you're my beginning, my end
You're my sister, lover, and friend
God is your light from within
It shines through your beautiful skin
What they say 'bout you ain't true
There's no me if there is no you
I hope that you understand
You got to respect yourself before I can

[Verse 2: Big Gipp]
Yeah, I met you and y'all knew, saw you again on Marietta
Downtown Atlanta, checking your long legs, got me smirking
Fixed me dinner one night, candles lit
Kind of thought you was slick in the beginning
But it turned out you wouldn't lie
Looked me in my eye, I listened
Sucked it up, pushed on, we made amends
Both sides clicked, true friends
Since then, years done gone by
Brought a baby girl into this world, made our parents grandfolks
Household with no pork
Took care of ye, you, me
When shit got put out on the curb
Closer than the skin on the back of my hand
Through the thick and thin, we can win, beautiful Black skin, yeah
[Chorus: Cee-Lo]
Well, I say, you're my beginning, my end
You're my sister, lover, and friend
God is your light from within
It shines through your beautiful skin
What they say 'bout you ain't true
There's no me if there is no you
I hope that you understand
You got to respect yourself before I can

[Verse 3: Khujo]
No need to compete
With the music loud
Or stares cold
But on a scale of one to ten, you a twelve
I chose her over jail and hell
Originally from ATL

[Verse 4: T-Mo]
Compatible souls come together under bad weather
To discuss distrust amongst the so-called good in every woman
How I wish this was true, I deal with facts only
Already done cloned me, why I sang the blues
With there's only one God that watches over our every step
I need his help
When I'm walkin', lookin for the right female
I can't tell sometimes
They tell me the devil's comin' humble in his approach
Spontaneous with the game
He caught the naïve of a girl fallin' for the okay
Let the pistol smoke the one who live by, die by
Example of how relationships can be
[Verse 5: Khujo]
I rolls the dice, takin' a chance at crappin' out
Like today, boy, I lost one of my best hips
Natural thick lips, no animal fat implants
Wide load, just started workin' at the airport
Nineteen years old, worth more her weight in gold
But it was all my fault, so don't cry, I will stand
If down the line I want you back and the feelin' ain't mutual, just promise me you'll find a human
That's 'bout some business
Hope she find what her was lookin' for, like a dream to my end
I wanted to be more than friends, beautiful Black skin

[Chorus: Cee-Lo]
Well, I say, you're my beginning, my end
You're my sister, lover, and friend
God is your light from within
It shines through your beautiful skin
What they say 'bout you ain't true
There's no me if there is no you
I hope that you understand
You got to respect yourself before I can
Well, I say, you're my beginning, my end
You're my sister, lover, and friend
God is your light from within
It shines through your beautiful skin
What they say 'bout you ain't true
There's no me if there is no you
I hope that you understand
You got to respect yourself before I can

[Outro]
Yo, this a public announcement
Man, I'm so sick of seein' trash on the damn street, man
I'm sick of y'all folk comin' up out of the store, takin' your lil' candy out, throwin' the lil' paper on the ground, man, it's fuckin' up the hood
Also, man, I'm sick of y'all folks standin' around
You know, when you're talkin' to your folk or somethin', y'all drinkin' on a lil' somethin'-somethin'
You take it, you pour it out to your dead homies, but then you throw the bitch right at 'em
Man, don't shut me up, home, I'm doing what I do
I'm just sick of seeing that
All around the nation, man
We fuckin' up our own hood