To Be A Man (MEGA REMIX) (feat. Atlus, Phix, Brutha Rick, The Mediary & Thagreatwhite)

I can't hide myself
I don't expect you to understand
I just hope I can explain
What it's like to be a man
It's a lonely road
And they don't care 'bout what you know
It's not 'bout how you feel
But what you provide inside that home

Too much pressure on my shoulders, it gets tough to be
The person bringing in the bread and be the lover that you need
For self-care, yeah I had to let go
I'd be lying if I told you that it never takes a toll on
My mind, I need someone to save me
But I have to be the one who's saving you
When you're exhausted I'm a shoulder where you mend
Gotta stay strong, what can I do when

I can't hide myself
I don't expect you to understand
I just hope I can explain
What it's like to be a man
It's a lonely road
And they don't care 'bout what you know
It's not 'bout how you feel
But what you provide inside that home

I know a lotta men don't feel the same but I don't feel ashamed
Letting the water fall when my heart's ablaze
Daddy taught me that was how to put a fire out
So when I'm hurting I don't mind to cry my eyes out
I only have a few examples of a man in my life
And only one who made perfection life-like so I try
To remember two words when I don't know what to do
Don't forget Jesus wept and brother so can you

I can't hide myself
I don't expect you to understand
I just hope I can explain
What it's like to be a man
It's a lonely road
And they don't care 'bout what you know
It's not 'bout how you feel
But what you provide inside that home

They said it's all in my head and I guess that makes sense
'Cause everything I feel, I keep in 'cause it's different for men
We talk about our feelings, we're called oversensitive
We're asked to strike a balance, it doesn't exist so we
Bottle everything up in our minds
We grow cold, dark, alone as we slowly die
Ya ever wonder why it's mostly men who commit suicide?
We figure why not, we're already dead inside

I can't hide myself
I don't expect you to understand
I just hope I can explain
What it's like to be a man
It's a lonely road
And they don't care 'bout what you know
It's not 'bout how you feel
But what you provide inside that home

You picked me up when I was broken
You pieced together words that were not spoken
You found a way to see me as I was
Even when the world hasn't shown you the same love
You're expected to do everything on your own
Provide and then hide all the feelings that you hold
But your heart is deserving, now show it
I see you for who you are, I hope that you know

I can't hide myself ([?] hide yourself)
I don't expect you to understand (i'll try my best to understand)
I just hope I can explain
What it's like to be a man
It's a lonely road
And they don't care 'bout what you know
It's not 'bout how you feel
But what you provide inside that home

I know we all got decisions to make
But it seems that my decisions cause division, I hate this pride
I break inside but I cannot cry
'Cause all I wanna do is provide
I was made for this, I'm a father of seven, my oldest is twenty, my youngest eleven
And they all gotta eat so I bury my feelings and stand on my feet
Like they told me, gotta be grown they told me
You're on your own they told me, but we're not alone He showed me

I can't hide myself
I don't expect you to understand
I just hope I can explain
What it's like to be a man
It's a lonely road
And they don't care 'bout what you know
It's not 'bout how you feel
But what you provide inside that home

Yeah, patiently waiting for God to show me signs I need
I'm not the man for the job, all the things I can't be
Put all my feelings aside
I think that I'll be better off when I'm not alive
Fought through depression for years and I tried to hide it
Almost put pressure and pulled it but I decided
To give it all that I can
But this what it's like to be a man

I can't hide myself
I don't expect you to understand
I just hope I can explain
What it's like to be a man
It's a lonely road
And they don't care 'bout what you know
It's not 'bout how you feel
But what you provide inside that home

As a man if you show your emotions they take you for weak and this ain't nothing new
Teaching my son to be mentally strong and prepare for the battle, he ain't even two
Being a father is lit but I gotta admit that sometimes I don't know what to do
Provide and protect was the name of the game I was playing for you and you know that it's true
Unconditional love ain't reality but you can't take a look from my view
A lotta my days were blooping and dogging me so I fought and you didn't have a clue
When I had it we had it together but now we divided your colors are true
I shouldn't have to ask for no help if you knew I was struggling, I woulda did it for you

I can't hide myself
I don't expect you to understand
I just hope I can explain
What it's like to be a man
It's a lonely road
And they don't care 'bout what you know
It's not 'bout how you feel
But what you provide inside that home

I'm sorry, I never knew
All the things that you go through
I never meant to put your pain aside
Didn't mean to make you need to hide
These demons in your head, they'll tell you, you're less than
But I'm here to tell you that you're more than perfect
And don't let the voices make you think you're worthless
'Cause you're worth it, you've got this

I can't hide myself
I don't expect you to understand
I just hope I can explain (i just hope I'll understand)
What it's like to be a man
It's a lonely road
And they don't care 'bout what you know
It's not 'bout how you feel
But what you provide inside that home

There's just a lot I wanna say
To be a man requires you to hide the pain, you find yourself
Inside a hole you can't get out, even though you wanna shout
'Cause the pain is just unbearable (oh, no, no)
I just wanna cry and be given a hug
And be told everything will be okay
[?]
I have a family that depends on me, oh

I can't hide myself
I don't expect you to understand
I just hope I can explain
What it's like to be a man
It's a lonely road
And they don't care 'bout what you know
It's not 'bout how you feel
But what you provide inside that home

Look, as a man they expect you to be strong, as someone to lean on no matter what you dealing with
I just lost a couple friends to drugs and when I woke up in the morning man I really wasn't feeling it
But I gotta try to bottle the pain but when they took my son away I had to try to find a will to live
Putting five whole years at a job then I got laid off and the news had me feeling sick
I been drowning in the deep end, anybody wanna give me a reason?
I don't even try to bother with a social life 'cause I would rather be alone on the weekends
Just chilling with my demons, and I just to suppress the depression
In need of a blessing 'cause I'm really 'bout to lose it all
Just remember that I tried to be a man when you lose me y'all and I'm gone

I can't hide myself
I don't expect you to understand
I just hope I can explain
What it's like to be a man
It's a lonely road
And they don't care 'bout what you know
It's not 'bout how you feel
But what you provide inside that home