I was born into a family of four brothers
But my mother and my father never liked each other
My mother always said that she was sick of it
When I was eight years old my father just split
Never heard from him again until I was ten
I got a letter from down in Texas in the state pen
Everybody said "those boys won't get very far"
I said "what would you know about where we are"

Here we are
Where we are
and you know it's been a long way down
But I took the fall
And I learned to climb
Before I could crawl
With my R-E-S-P-E-C-T
And they never could take that from me

I had to get out of the house when I was sixteen
There was nothing there for me, if you know what I mean
There was a deeper shade of soul I could not relate to
Just lie back and let your song medicate you
and life is sad but it's beautiful
I heard a voice from far away say
"Every word is true"
That's is why I try to give it away to you

here we are
Where we are
And you know it's been a long way down
But I took the fall
And I learned to climb
Before I could crawl
With my R-E-S-P-E-C-T
And they never could take that from me

Well, I was born into a family of four brothers
We learned to laugh, we learned to cry
To sing all night . . . rise with the sun
and you know I never wanted to be the one to tell you
Everything would be all right
And would you believe me if I did?
Or didn't turn around and come back to holy ground
Cuz' life ain't much of livin' when you grow up on this side of town
And the wind was all I wanted
But we can't ge that around here
I won't stand here forever
Weighed down by my fear
and oh, say it isn't so . . .
That I'm just like you, you're just like me
But that ain't so bad