·they told me don't play out in the streets boy / they said you better keep your nose clean boy / they told me your to green better chill boy / better listen or you'll end up on a detour / why you want to live like a renegade/ when the end of it all's coming any day / the said if you don't listen your going to feel the pain / but i had to learn the hard way / been in the streets more than a couple of years / lost a couple of friends and shed a couple of tears / so much pain at times i wish i was dead / could have avoided it all but i was think in the head / people tried to tell me back when i was still a knucklehead / thought i knew it all and so i didn't hear a thing they said / now i got to pay the piper karma came around / caught up in the struggle got to fight to hold it down i should have listened / i should have listened.
· should have listened when the told me calm down / should have listened when they told me chill / should have listened when they told me not now / should have listened but i did that still.
·they told me you should listen to your dad boy / they told me you don't want to be a bad boy / they told me why you want to do that boy / better listen or you'll end up on a detour / why you want to run to the other side / there's nothing but a crash when your full of pride / i put a lot of tears in my mommas eyes / and i had to learn the hard way / they were trying to tell me but i was plugging my ears / caught up in trouble and in the struggle for years / all that time i didn't listen was hell / instead of going to church i went to court and to jail / living like a rebel took a toll and now i feel the pain / been a couple places that i never want to go again / now i'm on a long road like an interstate / lots of people tried to tell your boy to hit the brakes i should have listened i should have listened.
· should have listened when the told me calm down / should have listened when they told me chill / should have listened when they told me not now / should have listened but i did that still.
·they told me don't play out in the streets boy / they said you better keep your nose clean boy / they told me your to green better chill boy / better listen or you'll end up on a detour / why you want to live like a renegade / when the end of it all's coming any day / they said if you don't listen you gon' feel the pain / but i had to learn the hard way / i should have listened / i should have listened.
· should have listened when the told me calm down / should have listened when they told me chill / should have listened when they told me not now / should have listened but i did that still.