Retrospect for Life

[Intro: Common]

Yo, we gotta start respectin' life more, y'all

You look at your brother, man, you gotta see yourself

Gotta see the God within him

We brothers gettin' changed real quick over nothin'

We losin' too many of ours

Gotta recreate, y'all

Yo, check it...

[Verse 1: Common]

Knowin' you the best part of life, do I have the right to take yours?

'Cause I created you, irresponsibly

Subconciously knowin' the act I was a part of –

The start of somethin', I'm not ready to bring into the world

Had myself believin' I was sterile

I look into mother's stomach, wonder if you are a boy or a girl

Turnin' this woman's womb into a tomb

But she and I agree, a seed we don't need

You would've been much more than a mouth to feed

But someone–I would've fed this information I read

To someone–my life, for you, I would'a had to leave

Instead, I lead you to death

I'm sorry for takin' your first breath, first step, and first cry

But I wasn't prepared mentally, nor financially

Havin' a child shouldn't have to bring out the man in me

Plus, I wanted you to be raised within a family

I don't wanna go through the drama of havin' a baby's momma

Weekend visits and buyin' J's ain't gon' make me a father

For a while, bearing a child is somethin' I never wanted to do

For me to live forever, I can only do that through you

Nerve I got, to talk about them niggas with a gun

Must have really thought I was God to take the life of my son

I could have sacrificed goin' out

To think my homies who did it, I used to joke about

From now on, I'ma use self-control instead of birth control

'Cause 315 dollars ain't worth your soul

315 dollars ain't worth your soul

315 dollars ain't worth it

[Chorus: Lauryn Hill]

I never dreamed you'd leave in summer

You said you would be here when it rained

Why didn't you stay?

[Verse 2: Common]

Seeing you as a present and a gift in itself

You had our child in you, I'll probably never feel what you felt

But you dealt with it like the strong Black woman you are

Through our trials and tribulations, child's elimination

An integration of thoughts I feel about the situation

Back and forth, my feelings was pacin'

Happy deep down, but not joyed enough to have it

But, even that's a lie – in less than two weeks, we was back at it

Is this unprotected love, or safe to say it's lust?

Bustin', more than just sweat in somebody you trust

Or is it that we don't trust each other enough?

And believe, havin' this child'll make us have to stay together?

Girl, I want you in my life 'cause you have made it better

Thinkin' we all in love 'cause we can spend a day together?

We talkin' spendin' the rest of our lives

It's too many Black women that can say they mothers, but can't say that they wives

I wouldn't choose any other to mother my understanding

But I want our parenthood to come from planning

It's so much in my life that's undone

We gotta see eye to eye about family, before we can become one

If you had decided to have it – the situation, I wouldn't run from

But I'm walkin', findin' myself in my God

So I can, discipline my son with my rod

Not have a judge tellin' me how and when to raise my seed

Though his death was at our greed, with no one else to blame

I had a book of African names, case our minds changed

You say your period hasn't came, and lately I've been sleepy

So quit smokin' the weed and the beadies and let's have this boy

[Chorus: Lauryn Hill]

I never dreamed you'd leave in summer

You said you would be here when it rained

Why didn't you stay?

I never dreamed you'd leave in summer

Now the situation's made things change

Why didn't you stay?