Where Have You Been
Jay-Z Feat. Beanie Siegel Lyrics

Damn how I'ma say this shit?
I don't know how to express this, but...

Hey, hey dad, yeah, it's your boy
Hey, dad, it's me, your son

Remember me? I wanna talk to you scrap
Do you remember me? I want to have a conversation with you, dad

I remember being kicked out the house
I recall being kicked out of our home

'Cause I looked just like you
Because I resembled you

Said I'd be nothing but a crook
You said I would amount to nothing but a criminal

Just like you
Just like you, dad

The niggas in the hood was shook
The people in the neighborhood were scared

Where the just like you
Because I resembled you

'Cause all they said was little whitey look
Because all they saw was someone who looked like a younger version of you

I'm just like you
I am just like you, dad

But dog I can't see it at all, shit
But honestly, I can't see any resemblance at all

We never kicked it at all
We never spent time together

We never pitched or kicked at a ball
We never played or practiced playing ball together

Dog, you never taught me shit
You never taught me anything

How to fight, ride a bike, fix the flat
You never taught me how to fight, ride a bike, or fix a flat tire

None of that sorts of shit
None of those things

Nigga you was an abusive pop
You were an abusive father

Fuck you left me out to dry, stuck
You abandoned me and left me in a difficult situation

Gotta teach news to box
I had to learn how to box on my own

Gotta teach news to bop
I had to learn how to dance on my own

And that ain't the half of it man
And that's not even the worst part, man

I gotta teach news to block
I had to learn how to defend myself on the streets

It's about time we have a father to son (nigga sit down)
It's time for us to have a father to son talk (listen to me)

Sit down let me tell you 'bout your fatherless sons
Sit down and let me tell you about the sons who grew up without a father

How they grew to be men and father they sons
How these boys grew up to become men and become fathers to their own sons

Father they daughters
And also father their daughters

Nigga, you left a fatherless daughter
You left a daughter without a father

I never follow your orders
I never obeyed your commands

Nigga you make me sick
You disgust me

Pussy you could, ooh
You coward

How you gonna leave these memories in the back of my mind
How could you leave these memories lingering in my thoughts

I can see it clear as day you smackin' my mom
I vividly remember you hitting my mom

I 'member that day you showed me that gat, that 9
I remember that day when you showed me the gun, the 9mm

Put it in my palm when I was young
You put it in my hand when I was still a child

And said that would be mine, you turned me out
And said I would own it someday, but you influenced me in the wrong way

The reason why I hit the block
The reason why I started hustling on the streets

Reason why I tried to hit them cops
The reason why I tried to fight the police officers

Reason why I started hittin' shots
The reason why I started shooting at people

Reason why I started gettin' licked
The reason why I started using drugs

And drinkin' syrup and skippin' court
And drinking codeine syrup and avoiding court appearances

Ginger bread man never think of gettin' caught
I never thought about the consequences, like getting arrested

Look at your hands man damn you fought
Look at your hands, they show the signs of fighting

Nigga you left my mom
You abandoned my mom

Left us with no good-bye's
Left us without saying goodbye

You left us out to dry
You abandoned us and left us to struggle

You left us with no letters, notes (nothing), no replies
You left us without any communication, no letters, notes, or replies

No digits numbers was unlisted
You didn't leave us any contact information

You left me with some of my loneliest nights
You left me feeling extremely lonely at times

Nigga some of my hungriest nights
Some of the nights I went to bed hungry

Shit, one of the reasons for years (shit embarrasin')
One of the reasons for many years (which is embarrassing)

Damn we used to think money was white
We used to believe that money was the solution to our problems

Yeah you gave us life like, fruit from a plant
Yes, you gave birth to us, like a fruit from a plant

We ain't eat right from them foods from them stamps
But we didn't eat properly from the food we got with government assistance

And to think you was my pop
And to think that you were my father

Man I gotta stop, shit
I have to stop dwelling on this, damn

Daddy, where have you been?
Dad, where have you been?

And when you come home, you got us here all alone
And when you come back, you leave us all alone at home

Mommy, where daddy went?
Mom, where did dad go?

You always stick up for him, always said you'd make up for him
You always defended him, and you promised to compensate for his absence

Mommy, what happened then?
Mom, what really happened then?

What was you cheatin' on him? Why he's always beatin' on you?
Were you cheating on him? Why did he always physically abuse you?

Daddy, where have you been?
Dad, where have you been?

Nigga, you gon' hear me out
You're going to listen to what I have to say, dad

I wanted to walk just like you (remember?)
I wanted to imitate you, dad (remember that?)

Wanted to talk just like you (word)
I wanted to speak like you, dad (seriously)

Often momma said I look too much and I thought just like you
Mom often said I resemble you too much and I think in the same way as you

Wanted to drink Miller nips and smoke Newports just like you
I wanted to drink Miller beer and smoke Newports cigarettes, like you

But you left me, now I'm goin' to court just like you
But you abandoned me, and now I'm facing legal issues, just like you

I would say, "My daddy loves me and he'll never go away"
I used to say, "My dad loves me and he will never leave"

Bullshit, do you even remember December's my birthday?
That's bullshit, do you even remember that my birthday is in December?

Do you even remember the tender boy
Do you even remember the innocent boy

You turned into a cold young man
You turned into an emotionally distant young man

With one goal and one plan
With a single goal and plan

Get mommy out of some jam, she was always in one
To help mom get out of problematic situations, as she was always in one

Always short with the income
Always struggling with limited income

Always late with the rent
Always behind on the rent payment

You said that you was comin' through
You promised that you would come through

I would stay in the hallway (waitin')
I would wait in the hallway for your arrival

Always playin' the bench (waitin')
Always waiting on the sidelines

And that day came and went
And that day arrived and passed

Fuck you very much, you showed me the worst kind of pain
Fuck you, you made me experience the most painful kind of suffering

But I'm stronger and trust me I will never hurt again
But I am stronger now, and trust me, I will never be hurt again

Will never ask mommy, "Why daddy don't love me?
I will never ask mom, "Why doesn't dad love me?

Why is we so poor?, Why is life so ugly?
Why are we so poor? Why is life so difficult?

Mommy why is your eyes puffy?"
Mom, why are your eyes swollen?

Please don't cry everything'll be alright
Please don't cry, everything will be okay

I know it's dark now, but we gon' see the light
I know it's difficult now, but things will get better

It's us against the world
It's just us, facing the world together

We don't need him, right? (Right)
We don't need him, do we? (Correct)

Mommy drivin' 6's now (yeah), I got riches now (yeah)
Mom is driving luxury cars now, and I am wealthy now

I bought I nice home for both of my sisters now
I bought a nice home for both of my sisters now

We doin' real good
We are doing really well

We don't miss you now
We don't miss you anymore

See how life twists around, fucker?
Look at how life has turned around, fucker

Daddy, where have you been?
Dad, where have you been?

And when you come home, you got us here all alone
And when you come back, you leave us all alone at home

Mommy, where daddy went?
Mom, where did dad go?

You always stick up for him, always said you'd make up for him
You always defended him, and you promised to compensate for his absence

Mommy, what happened then?
Mom, what really happened then?

What was you cheatin' on him? Why he's always beatin' on you?
Were you cheating on him? Why did he always physically abuse you?

Daddy, where have you been?
Dad, where have you been?

Nigga, you gon' hear me out
You're going to listen to what I have to say, dad