Lyfe Jennings › Lyrics › The River

I was born by the river
That my momma cried when my daddy died
Maybe that was the reason I didn't get the attention
That I was needing to touch
'Cause I reminded her of him too much

Couldn't understand what she felt so I hated her, yea
'Til I was old enough to hate myself
And I felt like a slave down in South Carolina
Cursing the vagina that gave life to me, oh

I couldn't see what I had the potential to be?
'Til I got down on my knees and begged God
To please take control of my life today

'Cause there's no way, there's no way, no way, no way
I can do it on my own and no matter how my friends try to console
They can never, never know what I go through
So I turn my heart over completely to you, yes Lord, I do

I was born in a hurry
'Cause my momma had to be back to work at 8:30
Maybe that was the reason there was always this feeling
That she was rushing herself
She didn't even have the time to spend loving herself

Let alone, someone else, so I hated her, yeah
'Cause I loved her, yea and I cried, yea
Like the Klu Klux Klan at the Million Man March
Partially broke my spirit, partially broke my heart

I couldn't start to be what I had the potential to be?
'Til I got down on my knees and begged God
To please take control of my life today

'Cause there's no way, there's no way, no way, no way
I can do it on my own and no matter how my friends try to console
They can never, never know what I go through
So I turn my heart over completely to you, yes Lord, I do