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Would’ve had a childhood, but my mama threw that away

Would’ve had a father figure, but the cops took him one day

Locked him in a cage for stealing food to keep us safe

Man was just trying to fill the plates

If it wasn’t for the powder and the pain

Maybe we’d have sunshine after rain

Maybe my sisters and I could say

We slept full bellies, not in shame

And I still remember pre-K

Dirty shoes and a torn-up face

Thinking somehow it was me to blame

For all her cloudy days

Would’ve had love, would’ve had light

If life didn’t take every piece of right

Would’ve had dreams, maybe I’d fly

But I learned too young how to survive

Mama chasing pills, daddy locked away

I grew up in the shadow of yesterday

Would’ve had a childhood, but it slipped away

Yeah, it slipped away

Empty fridge, but the heart still beats

Learned to hustle just to find some peace

Every scar, every tear I’ve seen

Built the man that I came to be

But sometimes I still see that kid

Staring out the window, wondering what “home” is

If love had stayed, if pain had quit

Who would I be instead of this?

Would’ve had love, would’ve had light

If life didn’t take every piece of right

Would’ve had dreams, maybe I’d fly

But I learned too young how to survive

Mama chasing pills, daddy locked away

I grew up in the shadow of yesterday

Would’ve had a childhood, but it slipped away

Yeah, it slipped away

But I’m still standing through the wreckage and the rain

Turning all my heartbreak into flame

I forgive ‘em, but I’ll never forget

The boy I was, ain’t done healing yet

Would’ve had love, would’ve had light

But I’m building both with my own fight

Would’ve had dreams, now I know why

The pain was the reason I can rise

Mama’s ghost, and daddy’s chain

Can’t take the hope I made from pain

Would’ve had a childhood, but that’s okay

I found my way