I swear to tell the truth and nothin but the truth... so help me GOD I just felt like tellin the story of my life Felt like, maybe somebody could be inspired, you know? We all feel pain, we all go through things But it's time to overcome all that [Verse One: LL Cool J] If your plane crashed in the water and everybody died would you drown on purpose or try to survive? I was born handicapped my arm wouldn't move They called me a cripple pops caught an attitude Beat my moms smoked lye drove trucks My moms had a miscarriage, he didn't give a f** He sniffed some coke, come home Beat up on my moms cause she's talkin on the phone Come on [Chorus: LL Cool J and singers] (all I ever wanted) All I ever wanted (all I ever needed) All I ever needed (was a father) was a father (that's all) That's all! (all I ever wanted) All I ever wanted (all I ever needed) All I ever needed... was a father (was a father) [Verse Two: LL Cool J] Moms got tired of the beatings said, "Yo, we got to go" Packed up her bags we bounced out the do' She said, "I ain't takin these whippin's no mo' I wanna live to see my little Todd grow" I remember tear drops on my pops face Lookin down at me standin on the staircase Handsome brother with a smooth goatee Makes me wonder why he act so ugly, you feelin me? (I'm feelin you) [Chorus] [Verse Three: LL Cool J] My pops got drunk when me and my moms bounced Swigged some Jack Dan', sniffed up a ounce Grabbed the shotty left Long Isle for Queens Possesed by a demon... a devil it seemed I was too young to understand the risk when your moms come home off the midnight shift She turned around heard the shotgun click My pops said, "You think that you could leave me?" He blasted my moms in the back She fell down screamin I can't forget that My grandfather tried to close the do' He got shot ten times in the stomach yo, for real [Chorus] [Verse Four: LL Cool J] My head was spinnin, I had never seen blood Four years old, this don't feel like love Anyway, pops dissapeared Grandpops and moms healed up over the years This therapist got up in her head Led her to believe without him she'd be dead You know, they fell in love with one another Everything seemed right that's word to mother until I started gettin beatings everday Sometimes for going outside to play Late at night on my knees I'd pray a young child, wishin the pain would go away Dad where was you when he made me strip Beat with belts like a slave with a whip Kicked me down steps outside in the snow Punched me in the chest stomped me out on the flo' That's just the tip of the iceberg look It's too long for a song but perfect for a book Word is bond, that's real baby [Chorus]