The Way We Live
Chico DeBarge Lyrics

Y'know what I mean? This for the woman y'know what'm sayin? Coming up just
I'm talking to you, ladies. We're all trying to make it.

Trying to get a nut. y'all really understand what we doing. Ya know? y'all
We're hustling, trying to make money. It's tough, but you ladies get it.

Understand that we hurting y'all y'all come attatched. It's all good. This
We know that our lifestyle can be hard on you ladies, but we appreciate your support.

One for y'all y'know what I mean? Yo ya know? Its crazy. We all together.
This song is for you ladies. We're all in this together, even though it can be crazy sometimes.

I used to cut pies in front of my girl, now I apologized
I used to sell drugs in front of my girl, but now I'm sorry.

The reason why: (My fault) she seen the red in my eyes
I was high and she could tell, it was my fault.

When I was cuttin it, feelin like the archives
When I was selling drugs, I thought I was preserving history like an archive.

Choppin it down, thinkin I'm, choosing my prize
I was cutting up drugs and thinking I was going to get a big payout.

Never hit the street with out my heat, boo, told me not to
I always carried a gun when I went out, but my girl warned me not to.

Said, "Paps, we know the jake 'ill try to knock you"
She warned me that the police would try to get me.

You do your thing, boo, I'll still be there, don't mean to knock you
She supported me and didn't judge me, even though she didn't agree with everything I did.

I know its hard fuckin with a thug nigga like me
I know it's tough to be with someone like me who's involved in illegal activities.

Thinkin would I get locked?
I always worried about getting caught by the police.

Come home tonight or not?
I was always unsure if I would come home at the end of the day.

Black Princess, kiss you when I see you
I loved my black girlfriend and would always kiss her when I saw her.

White women suntan and try to be you
White women try to tan to get the same complexion as you.

The Mellanin in your skin, make it all see-through
The dark pigment in your skin makes it all the more beautiful and clear.

Sometimes he hurt y'all, not understanding what we doing
Sometimes we hurt you ladies because you don't understand what we're doing.

Sweatin at the foul line like Pat Ewing
We're sweating like Pat Ewing at the free throw line trying to make it.

Yo from all the brothers
This is a shoutout to all the mothers out there.

I dedicate to the mothers
This song is dedicated to all the mothers.

My mother, grandmother of the Earth
I especially dedicate this song to my mother and all other mothers.

If it wasn't for women, then it wouldn't be birth
We wouldn't exist if it wasn't for the women who gave birth to us.

What, its all real
Everything we're saying is true.

We're just some thug people (That's what we are)
We're just a group of people involved in illegal activities.

That's what we are, trying hard to change the way we live
We know our lifestyle isn't sustainable and we're trying to change it.

(Change the way we live)
We're trying to change how we live.

But we can't take back, cause that's what we are
We can't change the past, we are who we are.

Trying hard to change the way life we live
We're working hard to change our lifestyle.

Yo, yo, aiyyo, you got chronic? You got yours, I got mines
Do you have marijuana? I have mine.

Lets get real high, light it all at the same time
Let's all get high together.

Stop holdin, (hold it up) babe its your turn to roll it
Stop holding the joint, it's your turn to roll it.

I used to spend time outside with my dime
I used to spend time outside with my girlfriend.

She be, rocking my chain, thinkin she shine
She wore my chain and felt like she was shining.

Straight beautiful, yo, I'm really glad that she mine
She was really beautiful, I was lucky to have her.

Kiss you on the forehead, cause yo, boo
I would kiss her on the forehead to show my affection.

This one for you
This song is dedicated to you.

The stupid shit I did in the past, I didn't mean it
I did some dumb things in the past, but I didn't mean to hurt you.

You know a nigga skinny, cause a nigga 'nemic
I'm skinny because I don't eat enough.

But when you cook, the way that it smell, the way that it look
When you cook, it smells and looks so good.

Cause chef, plus you look good, that's off the hook
You're a great cook, and you look good doing it.

You go to school to
You go to school to educate yourself.

Sit back, or respect dude
Just relax and respect me.

Work you part-time, spendin your time around mine
You work part-time and spend your free time with me.

I'm lovin you, that's why I wrote this rhyme
I love you, that's why I'm writing this song.

Flying in to Bell Harbor, when we need to shop
We fly into Bell Harbor to go shopping.

It's Cartier, Gucci, Gaultier, shit won't stop!
We buy expensive designer brands like Cartier, Gucci, and Gaultier.

Yo, its all good, I'm likin that two-hundred ?stand me?
Everything is good, I like that $200.

It even flipped, when I was down in Miami
Even when I'm in Miami, everything is still good.

Called me on my cell phone, Jones like I'm still home
Jones called me on my cell phone like I never left.

Tell me what your wearing girl, or what you look at pillin girl
Tell me what you're wearing or what pills you're taking, girl.

Step into my life now, share my world
Come into my life and share my experiences.

That's what I like about you, you got faith in me
I love that you have faith in me.

Be shining by yourself, with little lace with me
You can shine on your own, but I want to be part of your life.

The only thing I love more, gotta be the kids
The only thing I love more than you is our children.

You got the real hair, while other chicks rock wigs
You have real hair while other girls wear wigs.

I can remember back then, quite distinctively
I can remember the past very clearly.

When you friends kept saying not to get with me
When your friends told you not to be with me.

But you couldn't help it, I know the both of us felt it
You couldn't resist being with me because we both had a connection.

The both us melt it, the both of us dealt with
Both of us had to deal with our issues and struggle to be together.

The rumors and the lies, your eyes on dies
We had to deal with rumors and lies about our relationship.

Is enough for a brother to cut off ties
It was enough for me to want to break up with you.

To any other chick I used to mess with
To any other girls I used to be with.

Keepin it real, cause you the real one, that I want to step with
I'm being honest because you're the one I want to be with.

This song right here, is dedicated to all of y'all, y'know what I mean? Cause,
This song is dedicated to all of you ladies because you matter.

We know how we are, we know how we make y'all feel sometimes. Knowing that we
We know that we can be difficult to be with.

Ain't doing it purposely. We're just being the person that we are. Hanging
We're not trying to hurt you on purpose, we're just being who we are.

With the fellas, gettin jealous, y'know what I mean?You know what it is. This
We hang out with our male friends and get jealous, you know how it is.

One's for y'all.
This song is for you ladies.