Erykah Badu - Hold On lyrics

[Intro] Erykah Badu: You're beautiful, you know that? Young Girl: Uh huh Erykah Badu: Do you know that? Young Girl: Yes Erykah Badu: You do? Young Girl: Um hum Erykah Badu: You know when those kids tease you Young Girl: Uh huh Erykah Badu: Don't you ever worry about that because you are very beautiful Erykah Badu: Do you know you're beautiful? Young Girl: Uh hum Erykah Badu: Are you ready? Young Girl: Ma, I love you Erykah Badu: I love you [Verse 1 - Pharoahe Monch] He pushed down and called her black and ugly She asked "why must you tease me?" He laughed at her said, "you're from Africa, your hair is peasy Your skin is dark and greasy And plus you are so beneath me" Please trust me it wasn't easy for Diamond, it scarred her deeply Plays like a Fender ba** To myself thought how much does gender play? Rememberin such hatred at this tender age If I could send a mental page My thoughts would end the rage Reminiscin of the looks to her in cla** I gave, my eyes would say [Hook - Erykah Badu] Hold on, I'm sure, that there's so much more to live for If you hold on, things'll change So come on, be strong And hold on, I'm sure, there's so much more to live for As you grow strong, things'll change No pain (no more pain), no gain (no more pain) [Verse 2 - Pharoahe Monch] Please be willin to fight for your will despite writings from William Lynch Millions tried to rise like helium, but died in the fields and the trenches Cries from the k**ing is senseless Eyes to the ceiling, it quenches a thirst and a feeling that's endless The prize like a rain that wrenches the soul and cleanses your mind from white picketed fences Heads up your a**, splinters in face, mentally ridin benches The masters, pastors, disastrous but fascist ba*tards They crafted this hazardous plan, that still has us broken and battered We shoulder the struggle With the weight of a boulder that muffles the sound of provocative thinking, the pieces of puzzles Incompleted, only deleted To be pushed to the back of your mind like a hairline that has receded Now we repeated, the process, but never weeded the problem out Heeded the warnings but never proceeded to solve it No forward progress, it's obvious the soul is gone I meditate and pray that these words will somehow allow you to [Hook] [Verse 3 - Pharoahe Monch] See now Diamond is priceless Timeless, how she maneuvers like Heimlich In this new world it remind me of Isis She knows now that her complexion is a holy device A protection from UV rays in this negative time of crisis Like a knife through bu*ter slices Easily to anger she reacts pious Like a cell protectin itself from a virus Twice is strong is her demeanor, now she is righteous God is what you see now when you peer inside her eyelids [Hook] [Outro - Erykah Badu - singing] (*harmonizing*) You're so beautiful You can change this world If you want to girl Ohhhhhh, ewwwwwwwww Now come on, hold on Grow strong