Man Up

Man Up
By Delroy Nesta Williams

Man Up young boy Man Up

Daddy's gone
Out there in the cold world
Loving these young girls
So you have to play his role
So Man Up young boy, Man Up
No more childhood games
You have to bear the brunt of your father's shame
Every time mommy's hurt
She will drag you through his dirt
Because you're a constant reminder
That your father walked out the door
Leaving her to raise 3 kids on her own
And to make it even worse
You have all his characteristics -
Sly with words and full of tricks,
You even sound exactly like him when you speak.
Man Up young boy, Man Up
No more all out fridays followed by lazy saturdays lingering out late
You've got to go out and earn money to put food on your family's plate
There's no more crying for you
Suck it up and be a man
The one that your daddy couldn't be
It has to be you since anatomically it can't be your mommy
You've got to look out for your sisters
Make sure they don't fall prey to the drug dealers and gangsters
Or even worst, men like your father!
Who just gave up on his family
To chase young skirts
Who are almost the same age as his children
Now he has left you with the burden
Picking up the slack where he dropped it
So Man Up young boy, Man Up!
Drop out of school and get a job
Now is the time to pull up your pants, tie your waist and be strong
Simply because daddy is running from his responsibility
And mommy is too busy casting blame and scapegoatting
So this young boy, has to Man Up
Grow some moustache and beard
And face the world
Even though he isn't prepared
And all of this frustration
Is so new to him
As he tries to be better than his father
But every mistake or misstep
Serves as a reminder from his mother
That he's just like his daddy
And only adds fire to his failure
So now he simply rolls over
From one day to the other
Living a man's life while only a child
And he wishes somewhere that his father would be suffering
The same pain that was bestowed upon him
When daddy left his mother and sisters
Forcing his boy child to Man Up!