RESPECT YOURSELF
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Now here’s a strong topic, drop it and relate to it
No need to stop it and no need to be afraid of it
A lot of men are taking advantage, I don’t play that
No I’m not gonna front or try to say that
I ain’t been a sucker for a man, I have been
But that was back then, never mind what has been
This is the present and who says it ain’t right
For me to speak up and say what I feel inside
But I’m not the only one to feel how I feel in fact
All the ladies in the house I got your back
You gotta get with this and respect you
Cause if ya don’t, don’t expect nobody else to
I’m coming at ya with a serious subject
Yeah, I’m Pro-Choice and I’m making it public
And if I’m talking to you
Then it’s time to protect yourself
In other words, respect yourself!

You know what's right and wrong
Don't have to tell ya
Come on respect yourself
Let's come together
You' know the time has come
Don't have to tel ya
Come on respect yourself it's now or n ever


Let me tell you about a girl I know named Laurie
I’ll call her that for the sake of this story
She was a good girl, from a good family
Two sisters, a mom and a dad, ya see
They were upper middle class, ya know green grass?
A couple a cars, nice house and all that
Now don’t blab it but Laurie had a habit
Every night she’s take her arm and she’d stab it
She was addicted and nothing could save her
From the needle that her boyfriend gave her
Damn what a man can do to ya, huh
I hope you’re listening, I hope I’m getting through to ya
She no longer had a home cause her family rejected her
No longer had a job cause nobody respected her
All of this because of somebody else
It ain’t worth it, ya gotta respect yourself!

You know what's right and wrong
Don't have to tell ya
Come on respect yourself
Let's come together
You' know the time has come
Don't have to tel ya
Come on respect yourself it's now or n ever

That’s right – It’s 1992
And “"The Power of a Woman”" continues
Cause if you don’t respect yourself
Ain’t nobody gonna respect you
Yo – It’s up to you
So what ya gonna do?

Yeah…

Kick in the drums cause here comes the real deal
Your man is beating you down, now how do you feel?
Like nothing, yeah so get tough and…
Tell him you’re gonna leave him, I mean without bluffin'
You’re getting used and abused, you got nothing to lose
But your life, think about it cause one night
He may take it, before It’s too late go get help
You gotta respect yourself!

You know what's right and wrong
Don't have to tell ya
Come on respect yourself
Let's come together
You' know the time has come
Don't have to tell ya
Come on respect yourself it's now or never
You know what's right and wrong
Don't have to tell ya
Come on respect yourself
Let's come together
You' know the time has come
Don't have to tel ya
Come on respect yourself it's now or never