Hold On (feat. Erykah Badu)

"You're beautiful, you know that?" "Uh-huh"

"Do you know that?" "Yes"

"You do?" "Uh-huh"

"You know when those kids tease you?" "Uh-huh"

"Don't you ever worry about that, because you're very beautiful

Do you know you're beautiful?" "Uh-huh"

"Are you ready?" "Ma, I love you"

"I love you"

He pushed her 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 bass

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

Reminiscent of the looks to her in class I gave, my eyes would say

Hold on, I'm sure

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)

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 killing is senseless

Eyes to the ceiling, it quenches

A thirst and a feeling that's endless

The prize like a rain that rinses the soul

And cleanses your mind from white picketed fences

Heads up your ass, splinters in face, mentally ridin' benches

The masters, pastors, disastrous but fascist bastards

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

Hold on, I'm sure

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)

See, now Diamond is priceless

Timeless, how she maneuvers like Heimlich

In this new world, it reminds 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 butter slices

Easily to anger, she reacts pious

Like a cell protecting itself from a virus

Twice as strong is her demeanour, now she is righteous

God is what you see now when you peer inside her eyelids

Hold on, I'm sure

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)

You're so beautiful

You can change this world

If you want to girl

Oh, ooh

Now come on, hold on

Grow strong