Power (Book of Ryan) Lyrics by Royce Da 5’9”
[Intro]
You want what for Christmas? Hell no
Whatchu mean this is all we got?
That’s it?
[Verse 1]
It’s Christmas time in the Montgomery home
Daddy’s acting all crazy again
Momma got herself a bloody nose
Daddy slapped her in the face again
Why they always gotta fight so much? D–n, momma face swole
Me and my bros in a panic state
If that’s the case yo, I can’t just stay around this
Everything was fine, we just had dinner, we got all the He-Mans
Battle Cat, Adam and Cringer, even Castle Greyskull and Snake Mountain
Now we sit and listen to y’all argue about how y’all planned this day
And y’all just admitted to us Santa fake so Kid Vishis just ran away pouting
Now I gotta go and console him, he wasn’t nothing but a spoiled little boy then
Little naive with an innocent cry, all he ever wanted to do was fit in with us
And y’all bought him a pair of fake Timberlands and put ’em in a real Timberland box
I never forget them boots, they was called Rugged Outbacks
Momma went and found them at Payless and made us promise not to say nothing
Then pop came in like he ain’t know nothing about it
Like, “Judy you gon’ send that boy out in public like that?”
“He’ll be just fine, these kids ain’t ’bout to be
Looking down at his feet for no treat”, and she really meant that
Meanwhile, this little arrogant n—a called himself stunting on me and Greg with him
Talking about, “Where your Timbs at?”
But he was too young to detect sarcasm so we was like, “N—a, where yo’ Timbs at?”
[Verse 2]
It’s Thanksgiving in the Montgomery home
Greg just came in here drunk again
Now momma tryna cover for him
She afraid my daddy gon’ punch him again
Why you gotta get drunk so much? D–n!
I wish you would just stay where you was at
Instead of coming home all rude and disrespecting all and follow
All the rules and s–t, man
The mood done switched me and Vishis playing Connect Four
Our favorite movie just came on the tube and it’s ironic it’s “Bloodsport”
And I’m looking at Frank Dux and s–t, thinking you should split
Before daddy come down these stairs of this basement and see you wasted
But he just cut me off like, “That n—a ain’t gon’ do s–t”
But the truth-es is, he couldn’t whoop my dad even if he was sober
I know cause he tried once
Ended up unconscious, a broke arm and a tooth was chipped
My big bro got a lot of emotional problems, he feel that we was all abused as kids
He saw momma get dragged down all kinds of stairs like a ragdoll when he was two
And this is back when daddy used to sniff cocaine, poor thang
He had to be subjected to this when he gets drunk, he gets to losing it
He gets the illusion that he gon’ protect us all from the Big Bad Wolf
Stand up to him and prove some s–t
But all he really doing is stressing mom out
Gotta her going, “Boy you know your daddy up there asleep
The food is ready, why don’t you stop
Making all this noise and let him stay sleep?”
[Verse 3]
The turkey’s done in the Montgomery home
Dad has just been awakened again (uh-oh)
Greg is making all kinds of noise
Daddy’s on his way angry again
“Who is that making all that God d–n noise?
Greggy, get up here! You been out there drinking again?
What the f–k I tell you about coming in my house with this disrespectful s–t?
N—a where the f–k you don’ been?”
I’m thinking to myself “Greg please don’t say nothing stupid, man”
Every time my daddy in his drawers and he standing in the hallway
Mad at somebody, I swear to God he got the same strength as Superman
My brother turned around and just walks in the kitchen
Without even giving an answer with his back to him like, “I ain’t gotta talk to you n—a”
“N—a, you don’t hear me talking to you?”
Next thing my brother did is something that
When it comes to my father is something you just don’t do
He looked him right in his eyes and he asked him
“What the f–k is you gon’ do?” (Mm, mm, mm)
My father hit him so hard his body hit the stove
The oven door hit the f—–g floor
The turkey fell out the oven whole and landed near the stairs
Now daddy standing over Greg
Talking ’bout, “N—a, you ain’t hurt! Get up, get up!”
And here come Vish’ talking ’bout, “Dad, I don’t think he gon’ get up”
Then momma went d–n near hysterical
She called the police, the police came
Neighbors is all in the street
Watching the cops taking my father out in handcuffs
D–n, man that s–t was real embarassing
To all my friends I grew up with, who grew up fatherless
I know through me you live vicariously
I want you to know that we ain’t know better than you and yours
We all needed therapy
We care about each other more
Than we care about if anybody understands us
What I’m trying say is “F–k you!”
And Happy Holidays from the Montgomery family
[Bridge]
Every man reaches that point in life
Where he don’t want to make excuses no more more
Life took me on a rollercoaster ride
I’ve been up, I’ve been down, all the ribbons and my daddy game
Took me on highs
Turned around and then took me on lows
Ohh, then I think about it
I use that s–t as fuel
Then I changed it into power, now can’t you feel it?
Can’t you feel it?
That I’m a grown man with power, yeah, let me hear you say “yeah”
If you was raised in a strict home like me, felt alone like me
And it gave you power, ooohh
You can do it too, just look at me
See I’m a grown man with power, yeah, everybody say “yeah”
If you don’t know the meaning of abusive
You’ve been through so much ain’t nothing nobody can do to you
Now can’t you feel it? I’m a runaway
This is how I became, a grown man with power
Ooohh, you can do it too, if I can do it
Use this power, I was a runaway, I was a runaway
There ain’t nothing you can do to me, do to me
[Outro: Royce Da 5’9″ & Royce’s son]
When you were a child growing up with grandad and granny
Did you really feel like grandad was a good father to you?
Absolutely, absolutely
All my friend’s daddy’s was walking out on them left and right
Y’know he never left us, he was always there for us
Y’know there were a lot of things that happened that I didn’t understand
Maybe I might not have answered the question the same way when I was a teenager
But I understand and appreciate him so much more now, as a man
Y’know ’cause he taught me respect and discipline
And consequences for your acts, so yeah, of course
Do you think his approach as a father
Really shaped the type of father that you are today
Or do you in some ways think it had negatives to it
And if so, what kind of negative traits
Do you try to avoid having as a father right now, to me?
“When you have your own, you’ll understand”
Comment here