Mockingbird - Eminem

"Yeah, I know sometimes things may not always make sense to you right now. But hey, what'd Daddy always tell you? Straighten up, little soldier, stiffen up that upper lip! What you cryin' about? You got me.

"

Hailie, I know you miss your mom, and I know you miss your dad

When I'm gone, but I'm tryin' to give you the life that I never had

I can see you're sad, even when you smile, even when you laugh

I can see it in your eyes, deep inside you wanna cry

'Cause you're scared, I ain't there

Daddy's with you in your prayers

No more crying, wipe them tears

Daddy's here, no more nightmares

We gon' pull together through it

We gon' do it, Lainie—Uncle's crazy, ain't he?

Yeah, but he loves you, girl, and you better know it

We're all we got in this world, when it spins, when it swirls

When it whirls, when it twirls, two little beautiful girls

Looking puzzled, in a daze, I know it's confusing you

Daddy's always on the move, Momma's always on the news

I try to keep you sheltered from it, but somehow it seems

The harder that I try to do that, the more it backfires on me

All the things growing up as Daddy that he had to see

Daddy don't want you to see, but you see just as much as he did

We did not plan it to be this way, your mother and me

But things have got so bad between us, I don't see us ever being

Together ever again, like we used to be when we was teenagers

But then, of course, everything always happens for a reason

I guess it was never meant to be, but it's just something

We have no control over, and that's what destiny is

But no more worries, rest your head and go to sleep

Maybe one day we'll wake up and this'll all just be a dream

Now hush, little baby, don't you cry

Everything's gonna be alright

Stiffen that upper lip up, little lady, I told ya

Daddy's here to hold ya through the night

I know Mommy's not here right now, and we don't know why

We fear how we feel inside

It may seem a little crazy, pretty baby

But I promise, Momma's gon' be alright

(Heh, it's funny)

I remember back one year when Daddy had no money

Mommy wrapped the Christmas presents up and stuck 'em under the tree

And said some of 'em were from me 'cause Daddy couldn't buy 'em

I'll never forget that Christmas, I sat up the whole night cryin'

'Cause Daddy felt like a bum—see, Daddy had a job

But his job was to keep the food on the table for you and Mom

And at the time, every house that we lived in

Either kept gettin' broken into and robbed or shot up on the block

And your mom was saving money for you in a jar

Tryin' to start a piggy bank for you so you could go to college

Almost had a thousand dollars, 'til someone broke in and stole it

And I know it hurt so bad it broke your momma's heart

And it seemed like everything was just starting to fall apart

Mom and Dad was arguing a lot, so Momma moved back

On to Chalmers in the flat, one bedroom apartment

And Dad moved back to the other side of 8 Mile on Novara

And that's when Daddy went to California with his CD

And met Dr. Dre and flew you and Momma out to see me

But Daddy had to work, you and Momma had to leave me

Then you started seein' Daddy on the TV, and Momma didn't like it

And you and Lainie were too young to understand it

Papa was a rolling stone, Momma developed a habit

And it all happened too fast for either one of us to grab it

I'm just sorry you were there and had to witness it first hand

'Cause all I ever wanted to do was just make you proud

Now I'm sittin' in this empty house

Just reminiscin', lookin' at your baby pictures, it just trips me out

To see how much you both have grown, it's almost like you're sisters now

Wow, guess you pretty much are, and Daddy's still here

Lainie, I'm talking to you too, Daddy's still here

I like the sound of that, yeah, it's got a ring to it, don't it?

Sshh!

Momma's only gone for the moment

Now hush, little baby, don't you cry

Everything's gonna be alright

Stiffen that upper lip up, little lady, I told ya

Daddy's here to hold ya through the night

I know Mommy's not here right now, and we don't know why

We fear how we feel inside

It may seem a little crazy, pretty baby

But I promise, Momma's gon' be alright

And if you ask me to, Daddy's gonna buy you a mockingbird

I'ma give you the world

I'ma buy a diamond ring for you, I'ma sing for you

I'll do anything for you to see you smile

And if that mockingbird don't sing and that ring don't shine

I'ma break that birdie's neck

I'll go back to the jeweler who sold it to ya

And make him eat every carat, don't fuck with Dad!

(ha ha)