Get it on
Fly On Your Eye
I guess it started right after my birth,
I never felt any self-worth.
Boy, you got no reason to cry,
'Cause you ain't got no fly on your eye.
I was used and abused,
But that is yesterday's news,
And when I was beat, it was with both feet.
I would just curl up into a ball because, after all, I was quite small.
Boy, you got no reason to cry,
'Cause you ain't got no fly on your eye.
I think I was around five when I wished to God,
That I was not even alive,
But deep down, I knew I had to survive.
No matter how much they tried,
I would never let them see me cry.
Boy, you got no reason to cry,
'Cause you ain't got no fly on your eye.
Now, this might sound like a crime,
But I never had story time.
I can't even remember having any nice dreams;
I would always wake up with silent screams.
Boy, you got no reason to cry,
'Cause you ain't got no fly on your eye.
And it's hard to learn how to stand your ground,
When you are always being kicked around.
I would shake with fear,
Every time step-daddy would bring home some beer.
And if he started into the liquor,
Man, he just got mean a hell of lot quicker.
If mommy started drinking her gin,
I knew that I was going to take one on the chin.
Boy, you got no reason to cry,
'Cause you ain't got no fly on your eye.
There were no hugs, kisses, or I love you's,
All I ever got was a size 10 shoe.
I did not get any birthday cakes,
Those are for rich kids, for Christ's sakes.
I never committed any crimes,
But it felt like I was doing prison time.
Boy, you got no reason to cry,
'Cause you ain't got no fly on your eye.
When I was around seven,
I knew there was no place called heaven.
I was sent off to Sunday school:
Now, don't be late, and here is a quarter for the collection plate.
Fuck that shit, I have not even ate.
But I was nobody's fool,
Don't try to teach me about the golden rule.
I should have never been sent,
After all, I think you two are the ones who need to repent.
They even made me give away my soul,
For a free glass of orange juice, how's that for obtuse?
Boy, you got no reason to cry,
'Cause you ain't got no fly on your eye.
Around age ten, I thought that it would never end,
But in my head, I knew how to self-defend.
I remember we did not always have supper on the table,
My mom said, "get out to work, you are young and able,"
But there was always money for smokes, booze, and bingo.
I never could quite understand that lingo.
Boy, you got no reason to cry,
'Cause you ain't got no fly on your eye.
Now, we were always moving.
That's because they were hiding all the beatings and bruisings.
I learned how to steal, lie and cheat.
See, by this time I had to learn to how to stand on my own two feet.
And this would not be a lie, about how many times I thought of suicide.
See, after walking life's crusty ridge, it looked easier to jump off a bridge.
But as I said, deep down, I wanted to survive.
Boy, you got no reason to cry,
'Cause you ain't got no fly on your eye.
Now, there were a few friends that said, hey, can I come inside?
But I could not let that happen. After all, I had way too many things to hide.
And there were a few that used to say, why are you so cold hearted?
Well, now you can see where it all started.
And why so much rage? You act like an animal in a cage,
I was raised as a racist one,
Many times people would get a lashing from my tongue.
Boy, you got no reason to cry,
'Cause you ain't got no fly on your eye.
Now, when it came to school,
I never did study, after all, life was so cruddy.
I would just sit there and stare, and nobody even cared.
I never want to go home, just wanted to be all alone.
See, in my house I was always as quiet as a mouse,
I was not allowed to scream or yell,
And never, ever tell.
I had one best friend, I saw him every time I looked in the mirror.
As time went by, I saw the future a little bit clearer.
Both of my parents were always mean,
All I ever heard was, "boy, you are out of my house as soon as you turn sixteen."
Boy, you got no reason to cry,
'Cause you ain't got no fly on your eye.
I know I could have had a better life,
And trust me when I say I wanted to stab them both with a knife.
Or I could have had it worse, after all, I was not Patty Hurst;
I did not end up with her same curse,
Or end up in the back of a hearse.
I say this with a bit of tongue in cheek,
But it felt like my life was like the ABC movie of the week.
Boy, you got no reason to cry,
'Cause you ain't got no fly on your eye.
Now, when it comes to my real dad,
I always get a little mad and sad.
See, I got more fingers on my hand than I have ever seen that man.
I remember one or two calls, he said, talking to you is like talking to a wall,
Well, fuck you, at least I have a set of balls.
Indeed, there should be a law that when a man plants his seed,
He should be made to watch it succeed.
Boy, you got no reason to cry,
'Cause you ain't got no fly on your eye.
Now that they are all dead and gone,
thought that I would write this song,
But there is something that I always knew: I was better than any of you.
Now you three fuckers took my brothers away from me,
Well, fuck you, one day I will start my own family tree.
Now, it was not until two of my brothers' demises,
That I realized that they also had no tears left in their eyes.
Now, I will never forgive or forget,
And maybe that will be my life's biggest regret.
Boy, you got no reason to cry,
'Cause you ain't got no fly on your eye.
And when I finally got out,
I found out what life was really all about.
I found myself a really nice wife,
And I have a really nice life.
Boy, you got no reason to cry,
'Cause you ain't got no fly on your eye.
Now that I have a son,
And believe me when I say,
I would never treat him the same way.
See, every time I see and hear my boy,
I feel nothing but pure joy.
I read to him every night,
And tell him I love him every night.
I don't mean to sound brass or bold,
And I don't do these things because it's asked or told
I do it because it's my job.
Boy, you got no reason to cry,
'Cause you ain't got no fly on your eye.
If he awakes from a midnight dream with scream,
Me and my wife will let him know everything will be alright,
And hug and kiss him and hold him tight.
We'll teach him to study hard, and not give others dirty looks.
As well as not to put others to shame because they are not all the same.
We tell him it's not right just to yell and scream,
Even though life's not always peaches and cream.
And it's also okay to stand up for your rights,
But it's not okay to just want to fight.
It's okay to cry, after all, it's why we were given two eyes.
We tell him how to read between the lines,
And life should work out just fine.
Never hold back those feelings you have inside,
After all, life is not always black and white, sometimes there is a little gray.
I did not write this for fame or glory.
Just thought I would share my life's story.
After all, I am just tired of living a life of shame,
I know that there are others out there that feel the same.
Remember, it's okay if you need to cry, after all, it's why we were given two eyes.
We are teaching everyone to reuse and recycle,
But maybe it's time to break the cycle.
I know it's easier to be said than done,
But I will start with my son.