Here We Are

I was born into a family of four brothers

But my mother and my father never liked each other

My mother always said that she was sick of it

When I was eight years old my father just split

Never heard from him again until I was ten

I got a letter from down in Texas

in the state pen

Everybody said "those boys won't get very far"

I said "what would you know about where we are"

Here we are

Where we are

and you know it's been a long way down

But I took the fall

And I learned to climb

Before I could crawl

With my R-E-S-P-E-C-T

And they never cuold take that from me

I had to get out of the house when I was sixteen

There was nothing there for me, if you know what I mean

There was a deeper shade of soul I could not relate to

Just lie back and let your song medicate you

and life is sad but it's beautiful

I heard a voice from far away say

"Every word is true"

That's is why I try to give it away to you

here we are

Where we are

And you know it's been a long way down

But I took the fall

And I learned to climb

Before I could crawl

With my R-E-S-P-E-C-T

And they never could take that from me

Well, I was born into a family of four brothers

We learned to laugh, we learned to cry

To sing all night . . . rise with the sun

and you know I never wanted to be the one to tell you

Everything would be all right

And would you believe me if I did?

Or didn't turn around and come back

to holy ground

Cuz' life ain't much of livin'

when you gron up on this side of town

And the wind was all I wanted

But we can't ge that around here

I won't stand here forever

Weighed down by my fear

and oh, say it isn't so...

That I'm just like you,

you're just like me

But that ain't so bad