Father Lyrics - Phenomenon - Ll Cool J

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 

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 a attitude 

Beat my moms smoked lye drove trucks 

My moms had a miscarriage, he didn't give a fuck 

He sniffed some coke, come home 

Beat up on my moms 'cause she's talkin' on the phone, come on 

(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) 

Moms got tired of the beatings said, "Yo, we got to go" 

Packed up her bags we bounced out the door 

She said, "I ain't takin' these whippin's no more 

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? 

(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) 

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 

Possessed 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 door 

He got shot ten times in the stomach yo, for real 

(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) 

My head was spinnin', I had never seen blood 

Four years old, this don't feel like love 

Anyway, pops disappeared 

Grand pops 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 everyday 

Sometimes for goin' 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 me 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 floor 

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 

(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) 

(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) 

A father, a father, a father 

A father, a shoulder, a helper 

(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)