Simpler Times - Bop Alloy, Substantial, Marcus D

Well, the thing is, I-I'd always work hard

And try to, you know, keep a good income so I could support my family

And at Christmastime, I had to spend extra to make sure that the children had a

good holiday

And 'cause they didn’t understand, you know, what Christmas was all about

Christmastime Mama always came through in the clutch

Felt bad, thinking back I didn’t give you much

For what you live through you deserve to have it all

Used to take us to get pics with Santa at the mall

Don’t recall a single year with nothin' under the tree

Christmas morning in our apartment, it was somethin' to see

More important than the gifts yo, you kept us fair

And the proof was in my waistline, enough said

Back then I got almost any thing I liked

GI Jo, Transformers, or a brand new bike

Spoild me rotten on that day and my day of birth

But what you did on holidays don’t illustrate your worth

It’s what you did behind the scenes to keep the family afloat

Tryna minimize the struggle when your actually broke

So I wrote a little something just to honor your grace

And the sacrifice you made to put a smile on my face

Felt like simpler times to my simple mind

But good and bad times are forever intertwined

Felt like simpler times to my simple mind

Mama always did the best she could to provide

As child I only cared about gifts, of course

Focused on what you got me, never what you lost

Learned later you lost your mom on Christmas day

Before my time, but I’m sure you never were the same

Wasn’t gifted with her presence, but I heard she was strict

Like most women in our fam, she didn’t take no —

He you are decades later still mourning the death

Had many tearful Christmas mornings while all of us slept

You’re stronger than we know and that’s sayin' the least

Slavin' at your job, come home, and make us a feast

Didn’t know how hard you had it 'cause you kept it from me

But your darkest days came to light inevitably

Pullin' every string you could before you let us down

Livin' proof that not every queen wears a crown

You weren’t without your flaws, but you mastered resilience

This is just a little thank you on behalf of your children

Felt like simpler times to my simple mind

But good and bad times are forever intertwined

Felt like simpler times to my simple mind

Mama always did the best she could to provide

Things aren’t as simple as it was then

Really thought it was but it wasn’t

Summer’s done, Fall back, Winter’s coming

Hope we spring forward like it’s nothing

This time of year we usually make the trip to spend it with you

Leading the fam, but change of plans until these issues improve

With the virus, already missed a visit or two

We’re just tryna keep you safe, this ain’t just an excuse

I take after you, tryna do whats best for the fam

Makin' tough choices that the babies don’t understand

But it’s easier for me, I see it now that I’m grown

Sometimes you had help but mostly had to do it alone

Then give Santa all the credit, that was so misleading

You just wanted us to have something that we could believe in

I feel you, I do the same with mine but with Kwanzaa

But it’s real heroes like yourself that deserve to be honored

I love you, Mama

Felt like simpler times to my simple mind

But good and bad times are forever intertwined

Felt like simpler times to my simple mind

Mama always did the best she could to provide

It was always a struggle, but I always managed to keep enough food in the house

And have a big dinner for y’all and stuff like that

So, my mind wouldn’t be so bogged down with memories of losing my mother

But I always was sure depressed the early part of Christmas morning

And I tried to get up early so I could get myself together

So I’ll be happy for y’all, and y’all could see a smile on my face

I feel like if you believe in anything, you gon' trust in God

Eventually, you know, and it’s gon' help you through life

And I always trusted in God, that it would make things possible in his own way

and his own time