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Retrospect For Life Lyrics

Artist: Common
Album: One Day It'll All Make Sense

featuring Lauryn Hill

Yo we gotta start respectin life more y'all
You look at your brother man you gotta see yourself
Gotta see the God within him
Brothers gettin changed real quick over nothin
We losin too many of ours
Gotta recreate y'all
Yo check it

Knowin you the best part of life do I have the right to take yours
Cause I created you irresponsibly
Subconciously knowin the act I was a part of
The start of somethin, I'm not ready to bring into the world
Had myself believin I was sterile
I look into mother's stomach, wonder if you are a boy or a girl
Turnin this woman's womb into a tomb
But she and I agree, a seed we don't need
You would've been much more than a mouth to feed
But someone, I woulda fed this information I read
to someone, my life for you I woulda had to leave
Instead I lead you to death
I'm sorry for takin your first breath, first step, and first cry
But I wasn't prepared mentally nor financially
Havin a child shouldn't have to bring out the man in me
Plus I wanted you to be raised within a family
I don't wanna, go through the drama of havin a baby's momma
Weekend visits and buyin J's ain't gon' make me a father
For a while bearing a child is somethin I never wanted to do
For me to live forever I can only do that through you
Nerve I got to talk about them niggaz with a gun
Must have really thought I was God to take the life of my son
I could have sacrificed goin out
To think my homies who did it I used to joke about, from now on
I'ma use self control instead of birth control
Cause $315 ain't worth your soul
$315 ain't worth your soul
$315 ain't worth it

[Lauryn Hill (two layers of vocals, same words)]
I, never dreamed you'd leave, in summer
You said you would be here when it rained
[Common] Yo
Why didn't you stay

Seeing you as a present and a gift in itself
You had our child in you, I probably never feel what you felt
But you dealt with it like the strong black woman you are
Through our trials and tribulations, child's elimination
An intergration of thoughts I feel about the situation
Back and forth my feelings was pacin
Happy deep down but not joyed enough to have it
But even that's a lie in less than two weeks, we was back at it
Is this unprotected love or safe to say it's lust
Bustin, more than the sweat in somebody you trust
Or is it that we don't trust each other enough
And believe, havin this child'll make us have to stay together
Girl I want you in my life cause you have made it better
Thinkin we all in love cause we can spend a day together
We talkin spendin the rest of our lives
It's too many black women that can say they mothers
but can't say that they wives
I wouldn't chose any other to mother my understanding
But I want our Parenthood to come from Planning
It's so much in my life that's undone
We gotta see eye to eye, about family, before we can become one
If you had decided to have it the situation I wouldn't run from
But I'm walkin, findin myself in my God
So I can, discipline my son with my writin
Not have a judge tellin me how and when to raise my seed
Though his death was at our greed, with no one else to blame
I had a book of Afrikan names, case our minds changed
You say your period hasn't came, and lately I've been sleepy
So quit smokin the weed and the beadies and let's have this boy

[Lauryn Hill]
I, never dreamed you'd leave in summer
You said you would be here when it rained
You said you would be here when it rained
Ohh I, never dreamed you'd leave in summer
Now the situation's made things change
Things change
Why, didn't you stay
Why didn't you stay...
I, never dreamed you'd leave, in summer
In summer
You said you would be here when, it rained
When it rained, it rained
Ohhhohh I, never dreamed, you'd leave in summer
You said you wouldn't leave
Now the situation's made things change
Things change, why didn't you stay?
Stay, stay stay stay stay stay stay
Mmmmm, stayyy
Uh-uh
Ohh why didn't you stay..

Comments/Interpretations

by G Money on 5/16/2008 4:25pm
Dope song.
by GE YO on 7/27/2008 5:38am
YO
this song makes u want tink about life.
about how u shud put family first b4 making ur own.
by A.E.M.-S on 12/11/2008 9:17pm
this song is real deep..
makes me think about life
by Miss wammy on 2/9/2009 4:10am
I am having my first child and I seem to be going thru the same things this song states..
Hard..But I love this child that's growing inside of me.
How my man gets clarity.

"I'ma use self control instead of birth control
Cause $315 ain't worth your soul
$315 ain't worth your soul
$315 ain't worth it"
by Yoo on 2/25/2009 5:59pm
Girl I want you in my life cause you have made it better
Thinkin we all in love cause we can spend a day together
We talkin spendin the rest of our lives
It's too many black women that can say they mothers
but can't say that they wives

^^^ THAT IS SO FUCKING POWERFUL
by Roosevelt on 3/28/2009 2:25am
This is actually my favorite song because it expresses my views through my only true love which is music. We as a people do need to consider the situation that is explored in this song.
by virgo Mp on 5/26/2009 6:05am
most definitely one of my favorite song from common, my other one would be faithful common needs to come out with more of these powerful soulful music. instead of going to the pop culture music seems to be going to. there's nothing better then hip hop in the 90s.
by ma, Ka on 7/20/2009 8:18pm
This in my opinion is the strongest song lyrically ever written or at least what i heard. Music from the 80's and 90's had meaning and soul.
by Ems on 2/11/2010 12:21am
The 1st time I heard this song was freshmen year, it is a very emotional song. A song that some people would have to go through.
by Victoria on 2/12/2010 8:10pm
I'm going through this now, I'm so confused about what I wanna do. My child doesn't deserve to die even though me and its father aren't together anymore and I'll probably be supportin by myself, w/ my family to also help me. I love it and I haven't even met it yet or know what it is...this song and my heart is screaming for me to keep it
by stephani on 3/26/2010 10:37pm
powerful lyrics and the truth
by Crump on 4/24/2010 4:25pm
powerful song dat leaves me fighting wit ma inner self... im in a situation wher havin da child is not an option..i created u irresponsibly... yet $315 aint worth ur soul... im sory 4 taking ur first breath, first step n first cry... :-(
by Blk NGGA on 5/8/2010 12:32am
MAEK U TINK ABOT LIFE YO
by Tshepo Tebron Nkadimeng on 5/27/2010 4:56am
At one point in my life i went through the same situation with my girl,but it was a false alarm !
by Thato on 10/10/2010 5:48pm
I am so in love with this song and the message it gives. Common, you are too great
by proudest mom on 11/18/2010 10:55pm
This song saved ny son's life 13 years ago. I'm glad he is everything a mother could ask for. Honor roll, good manners, and respectful.
by Oman on 11/23/2010 5:26pm
I think this song is jst undiscribable. I also hav a lil baby and evrytym i hear this i think of her. I feel lyk such a fuckin monster for wantin 2take away her 1st step cauz she took her 1st step when she turnd 1 and i was holdin her hand. I love her so much. Wish i cud thank common personal 4this track and tel him 2ryt more lyk this
by Caucasian Nigga on 12/29/2010 2:12am
One of the deepest songs I've ever heard. This is up there with Mama's Just a lil Girl and Brenda's Gotta Baby by 2Pac.
by E on 1/7/2011 1:33am
This song hits the heart. I love my mother of my child and someday want her to be my wife. She would be one less black baby mama and one more black wife/mom
by BlaQ on 3/14/2011 11:12am
Mo love and long live deep thoughts and lyrics man. Alotta happen but then we gata be man enuff and take responsibility of our actions. PEACEEEEEE
by Miss T on 5/17/2011 12:59pm
So he's anti-choice then? Makes me lose all respect for him.
by Brooke on 5/25/2011 5:34pm
This song is beyond deep. He speaks the truth here. My respect just grew a thousand percent for Common!! I love that he spoke on this powerful subject. $315 ain't worth it.
by CCTears on 6/27/2011 7:13pm
All I can do is cry....
by sok kay on 7/9/2011 1:07pm
This song has always been powerful deeply rooted... Now that I'm going thru it..what's unexpected is undoubtly a beautiful jouney. I can't bare to let what I created go... A lil me.. An inspiring soul, my unborn child.. My pot of gold... Tho ill have to change my current life completely no real support.. No father figure.. Escape from old traddition old sko home.. Ill shall find a way.. To raise this child the best I can..
by nigeXxx on 8/15/2011 9:48am
Common out dd hmslf on ths 1!
by france on 11/8/2011 4:52am
i hate myself for not fighting for my childs life
by Dee on 8/29/2012 2:42pm
Miss T he never said he was pro life. The song is about the impact the choice he made had on him emotionally and psychologically. The song goes on to outline why you should consider the ramifications when making choices that could lead you to a situation like this. I can see how, perhaps in a drastic oversight of the intended message here, you arrived at your conclusion, but don't, I implore you, do not discredit Common based on your assumption. I'm so glad I walked out of that clinic, got in the car, went home, and told my fiancé that I was pregnant. My beautiful little black daughter is my life. And I remain pro choice... And pro AWARENESS.
by regretful on 12/6/2012 5:23am
I love this song. I hats I heard it for the first time., three years too late
by rhiannon30 on 11/8/2015 8:44am
Ayo this tracks makes me think about my past present and future! No doubt!








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