'Dear Mama' by Tupac Shakur...can you guess what it's about?

I'll give you a hint, it's not about his father...

Song #1. "Dear Mama" by Tupac Shakur (whose mother is Afeni Shakur)
2 Pac- Dear Mama (YouTube)

When I was young me and my mama had beef
Seventeen years old kicked out on the streets
Though back at the time, I never thought I'd see her face
Ain't a woman alive that could take my mama's place

Tupac begins his rhyme reminiscing about the troubles he had with his mom growing up, but still admires her...

Suspended from school; and scared to go home, I was a fool
with the big boys, breakin all the rules
I shed tears with my baby sister
Over the years we was poorer than the other little kids
And even though we had different daddy's, the same drama
When things went wrong we'd blame mama

Tupac and his siter were upset at their economic status and blamed their Mom for not being able to provide better...

I reminisce on the stress I caused, it was hell
Huggin on my mama from a jail cell
And who'd think in elementary?
Heeey! I see the penitentiary, one day
And runnin from the police, that's right
Mama catch me, put a whoopin to my backside

Tupac rebelled, and his mom was always there to tell him he should know better...

And even as a crack fiend, mama
You always was a black queen, mama
I finally understand
for a woman it ain't easy tryin to raise a man

Pretty self-explanatory, but this is a revelation for Tupac...he realizes a single mom raising a man is exponentially difficult!

You always was committed
A poor single mother on welfare, tell me how ya did it
There's no way I can pay you back
But the plan is to show you that I understand
You are appreciated

Before the chorus, Tupac lets his sentiment be known...he loves his mom and despite the past, wouldn't want any other mom in the world. Most people should be able to relate to this...after all, who hasn't argued with their mom and then later realized how much she has done for you?

[Chorus: Reggie Green & "Sweet Franklin" w/ 2Pac]
Lady...
Don't cha know we love ya? Sweet lady
Dear mama
Place no one above ya, sweet lady
You are appreciated
Don't cha know we love ya?
[second and third chorus, "And dear mama" instead of "Dear mama"]

No explanation needed for the chorus...hell most idiots even understand the whole song...

[Verse Two: 2Pac]

Now ain't nobody tell us it was fair
No love from my daddy cause the coward wasn't there
He passed away and I didn't cry, cause my anger
wouldn't let me feel for a stranger

His dad died, but he never knew his dad, so why would he care?

They say I'm wrong and I'm heartless, but all along
I was lookin for a father he was gone
I hung around with the Thugs, and even though they sold drugs
They showed a young brother love

With no father around, he looked to older thugs as role models. Street disciples who could show him a manly way of living.

I moved out and started really hangin
I needed money of my own so I started slangin
I ain't guilty cause, even though I sell rocks
It feels good puttin money in your mailbox
I love payin rent when the rent's due

He doesn't feel bad about his choices because he was getting the money he needed to survive.

I hope ya got the diamond necklace that I sent to you
Cause when I was low you was there for me
And never left me alone because you cared for me
And I could see you comin home after work late
You're in the kitchen tryin to fix us a hot plate
Ya just workin with the scraps you was given
And mama made miracles every Thanksgivin

His mom was always there, working with what she had. He feels bad that he can't thank her more for being his savior (other than a diamond necklace, that is).

But now the road got rough, you're alone
You're tryin to raise two bad kids on your own
And there's no way I can pay you back
But my plan is to show you that I understand
You are appreciated

He comes to terms with the fact that he can't repay the debt he owes her, but acknoweledging how much he owes her is a start.

[Chorus]

[Verse Three: 2Pac]
Pour out some liquor and I reminisce, cause through the drama
I can always depend on my mama
And when it seems that I'm hopeless
You say the words that can get me back in focus

Whose mother can't put them back in focus? Those without moms can never relate to this song other than the shared fact that we were ALL born from a mother (regardless of if she is alive), and we owe our mothers a lot. He's basically saying his mom is the one who would make him feel worthwhile when he was down.

When I was sick as a little kid
To keep me happy there's no limit to the things you did
And all my childhood memories
Are full of all the sweet things you did for me
And even though I act craaazy
I gotta thank the Lord that you made me

We die alone and we usually act alone, but we wouldn't even have those opportunities without our mamas.

There are no words that can express how I feel
You never kept a secret, always stayed real
And I appreciate, how you raised me
And all the extra love that you gave me

He sincerely doesn't know how to thank his mom for bringing him life and trying to raise him right.

I wish I could take the pain away
If you can make it through the night there's a brighter day
Everything will be alright if ya hold on
It's a struggle everyday, gotta roll on

His mother must be in some sort of pain, and it hurts Tupac to see. He'd like his mom to keep fighting, just like she always has...as he thanks her one more time...

And there's no way I can pay you back
But my plan is to show you that I understand
You are appreciated

[Chorus]



ANALYSIS: What makes this different than my normal song selections is that it is a fairly straight forward song, but it is one of my favorites. It's a great piece of poetry that anyone with a heart can relate to, emphasizing love for the women who have to raise children (especially on their own).

MORAL/MEANING OF SONG: Respect your mom...without her hard work you wouldn't even exist...