Straighten up little soldier,
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,
Cuz daddycouldn't buy'em,
I'll never forget that Christmas I sat up the whole night crying,
Cuz daddy felt like a bum, see daddy had a job,
But his job was to keep the food on the table for you and mom,
And at the time every house that we lived in,
Either kept getting broke 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 so you could go to college,
Almost had a thousand dollars till someone broke in and stole it,
And I know it hurt so bad it broke yourmomma's heart,
And it seemed like everything was juststartin' to fall apart,
Mom and dad wasarguin' a lot so momma moved back,
On the Chalmers in the flat one bedroom apartment,
And dad moved back to the other side of8 Mile on Novara,
Andthat's when daddy went to California with his CD and met Dr. Dre,
And flew you and momma out to see me,
But daddy had to work.