Hailie, I know you miss your Mom, and I know you miss your Dad
When I'm gone, I'm trying 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
We're all we got in this world, when it spins, when it swirls
When it whirls, when it twirls, two little beautiful girls
Lookin' puzzled, in a daze, I know it's confusing you
Daddy's always on the move, Mama'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 that 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
Things have gotten so bad between us
I don't see us ever being together ever again
Like we used to be when we was teenagers
Then of course everything always happens for a reason
I guess it was never meant to be, that's just something we have no control over
And that's what destiny is
No more worries, rest your head and go to sleep
Maybe one day we'll wake up, these will 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 you
Daddy's here to hold you through the night
I know Mommy's not here right now, and we don't know why
We feel how we feel inside
It may seem a little crazy, pretty baby
But I promise Mama's gon' be alright
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 crying
'Cause Daddy felt like a bum, see, daddy had a job
Job to keep the food on the table for you and mom
And at the time, every house that we lived in
Either kept getting broken into and robbed, or shot up on the block
And your mom was saving money for you in a jar
Tryna start a piggy bank for you to 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 arguin' a lot
So Mama moved back on the Chalmers in the one-bedroom apartment
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 Mama out to see me
But Daddy had to work, you and Mama had to leave me
Then you started seeing Daddy on the TV and Mama didn't like it
And you and Lainie were too young to understand it
Papa was a rollin' stone, Mama developed a habit
Happened all too fast for either one of us to grab it
I'm just sorry you were there, had to witness it first-hand
'Cause all I ever wanted to do was just make you proud
Now I'm sitting in this empty house, just reminiscing
Looking 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
Guess you pretty much are and Daddy's still here
Lainie, I'm talkin' to you too, Daddy's still here
I like the sound of that, yeah, though it got a ring to it
Shh, Mama'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 you
Daddy's here to hold you through the night
I know Mommy's not here right now, and we don't know why
We feel how we feel inside
It may seem a little crazy, pretty baby
But I promise Mama'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 birdies 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!)