When You're Good To Mama
Catherine Zeta Jones Renee Zellweger & Taye Diggs Lyrics

And now, ladies and gentlemen
I am introducing myself, Matron Mama Morton, to the audience.

The Keeper of the Keys, the Countess of the Clink
I hold the powerful position of being in charge of the keys and security at the prison.

The Mistress of Murderers Row
I am responsible for overseeing the most dangerous inmates at the prison.

Ask any of the chickies in my pen
The women under my care will tell you that I am like a mother to them.

They'll tell you I'm the biggest mother hen
I am very protective of the women in my charge.

I love them all and all of them love me
I care deeply for the women in the prison and they appreciate the care that I provide for them.

Because the system works, the system called reciprocity
I treat the women well, and in return, they treat me well too. This is how the system works.

Got a little motto
I have a personal philosophy that guides me through life.

Always sees me through
This motto helps me to make good decisions and achieve success in life.

When you're good to Mama
If you treat me with respect and kindness,

Mama's good to you
I will return the favor and treat you well too.

There's a lot of favors
I am willing to go out of my way to help those who help me.

I'm prepared to do
In fact, I am always looking for ways I can help others.

You do one for Mama
If you do something nice for me,

She'll do one for you
I will be happy to repay the favor.

They say that life is tit for tat
The belief that you will receive what you give is a common philosophy in life.

And that's the way I live
I embrace this philosophy and live by it.

So, I deserve a lot of tat
I expect to receive many good things in life because I give so much.

For what I've got to give
I offer a lot to the people I care about.

Don't you know that this hand
The concept of reciprocity means that you should always be willing to help those who help you.

Washes that one, too?
In other words, if you help me, I will be there to help you in return.

If you want my gravy
If you want something good that I have,

Pepper my ragù
You need to put in some effort and spice it up for me too.

Spice it up for Mama
If you put in some work to help me, I will be more than happy to help you in return.

She'll get hot for you
I will be passionate and committed to helping you.

When they pass that basket
When there is an opportunity for people to contribute,

Folks contribute to
People will usually give something.

You put in for Mama
If you give something to me,

She'll put out for you
I will be happy to repay the favor and help you in return.

The folks atop the ladder
The people who are most successful and powerful in life.

Are the ones the world adores
These are the people that most of the world look up to and admire.

So boost me up my ladder, kid
If you help me achieve success,

And I'll boost you up yours
I will be more than happy to return the favor and help you succeed as well.

Let's all stroke together
If we work together,

Like the Princeton crew
As a team, we can achieve great things like the famous Princeton rowing team.

When you're strokin' Mama
If you help me and work with me,

Mama's strokin' you
I will be more than happy to support you and work with you too.

So what's the one conclusion
The takeaway from all of this is that if you want to receive help and support from others,

I can bring this number to?
This is what I hope to convey through this song.

When you're good to Mama
If you are kind and respectful to those around you,

Mama's good to you (ah yeah)
You will likely find that they will be more than happy to help you in return.