Dear Mama – English Lyrics

• By: Nino Paid

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the raw and deeply personal world of Nino Paid's "Dear Mama." This song is a powerful testament to resilience and the human spirit, offering a unique opportunity to connect with authentic storytelling in English. Through its vivid lyrics, you'll explore themes of abandonment, forgiveness, and overcoming adversity, making it a compelling piece to engage with if you're looking to understand genuine emotion and narrative flow in contemporary English rap. The song's unflinching honesty and introspective depth make it a truly special listening experience.

[English]

August, 14th day of the month 2001

A full moon sat in the sky that night my mother gave birth to her son

I came in this world not knowing a thing but breathing and that I was young

The trauma started when I formed the conscious wish God ain't give me none

I forgive you for letting me go my deuce don't ever think that I could hate you

I wonder why you never came back for me I know that ain't part of your nature

I wish I could see you I probably would give you a hug then give you some paper

Time done flied I'm a whole new man out here two decades later

We had the lights off and no cable, I felt depression and still kept stable

I went from home to home and still went to school everyday dealt with the haters

I was nobody so I couldn't save you but now I'm the man and still ain't able

I got a story that I never told nobody call this one Nino's favor

A n**** had drowned I opened my eyes on the surface they already thinking I'm dead

I slept on the bathroom floor one pillow to make sure the toilet ain't touching my head

I jumped in the streets start doing this s*** on my own of course a young n**** was scared

Who cares I don't make it back on the move I'm already thinking I'm dead

Mama of course I am, I done got rich off pain so I'm gon keep rapping about it of course I am

I done stayed down too long I'm tryna ball I don't care if the court's not in

Why is he always so specific youngin you hear my story don't question me n****

They thinking youngin was blind how am I just now getting the scene in

I said it was August the 14th day of the month 2001

A full moon set in the sky that night my mother gave birth to a son

I came in this world not knowing a thing but breathing and then I was young

My trauma started when I formed the conscious wish God ain't give me none

I forgive you for letting me go my deuce don't everything that I could hate you

I wonder why you never came back for me I know that ain't part of your nature

I wish I could see you right now give you a hug and give you some paper

Time done flied I'm a whole new man out here two decades later

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
trauma /ˈtrɔːmə/ B2	noun - A deeply distressing or disturbing experience.
conscious /ˈkɒnʃəs/ B2	adjective - Aware of and responding to one's surroundings; awake.
wish /wɪʃ/ A2	verb - To want something to happen or to be true. noun - A desire or hope for something to happen.
forgive /fərˈɡɪv/ B1	verb - To stop feeling angry or resentful towards someone for an offense, flaw, or mistake.
hate /heɪt/ A2	verb - To feel intense dislike or aversion for something or someone.
nature /ˈneɪtʃər/ B1	noun - The essential qualities or character of a person or thing.
hug /hʌɡ/ A2	verb - To clasp (someone or something) tightly in one's arms, typically to express affection. noun - An act of holding someone tightly in one's arms, typically to express affection.
man /mæn/ A1	noun - An adult male human being.
decade /ˈdek.eɪd/ B1	noun - A period of ten years.
depression /dɪˈpreʃən/ B2	noun - A state of feeling sad and hopeless, or a mental illness characterized by such feelings.
stable /ˈsteɪbəl/ B1	adjective - Not likely to change or fail; firmly established.
hater /ˈheɪtər/ B2	noun - (Informal) A person who expresses strong dislike or criticism.
save /seɪv/ A2	verb - To rescue someone or something from harm, danger, or an unpleasant situation.
drown /draʊn/ B1	verb - To die through submersion in and inhalation of water.
dead /ded/ A1	adjective - No longer alive; deceased.
scared /skerd/ A2	adjective - Frightened or worried.
pain /peɪn/ A2	noun - Highly unpleasant physical sensation caused by illness or injury.
rich /rɪtʃ/ A2	adjective - Having a lot of money or possessions; wealthy.
specific /spəˈsɪfɪk/ B2	adjective - Clearly defined or identified.
blind /blaɪnd/ A2	adjective - Unable to see.

Key Grammar Structures

• A full moon sat in the sky that night my mother gave birth to her son.

  ➔ Past Simple – used for actions completed at a specific time in the past.

  ➔ The verb "sat" is in the past simple, showing a completed action of the moon sitting.

• I came in this world not knowing a thing but breathing and that I was young.

  ➔ Gerund phrase (not knowing) as a complement; noun clause introduced by "that".

  ➔ The gerund "not knowing" describes a continuous state, and the clause "that I was young" is a noun clause.

• The trauma started when I formed the conscious wish God ain't give me none.

  ➔ When‑clause of time; informal negative contraction "ain't".

  ➔ The clause "when I formed the conscious wish" tells when the trauma began, and "ain't" is an informal way of saying "does not".

• I forgive you for letting me go, my deuce don't ever think that I could hate you.

  ➔ Gerund after preposition (letting); modal verb "could" for ability/potential.

  ➔ The gerund "letting" follows the preposition "for", and "could" expresses a hypothetical ability in the past.

• I wish I could see you, I probably would give you a hug then give you some paper.

  ➔ Wish + could (subjunctive) for unreal present; conditional "would" for future-in‑the‑past.

  ➔ The verb "could" after "wish" shows an unreal desire, while "would" introduces a conditional result.

• A n**** had drowned; I opened my eyes on the surface, they already thinking I'm dead.

  ➔ Past perfect (had drowned) for an action completed before another past event; present participle (thinking) as a progressive clause.

  ➔ "had drowned" is past perfect, showing the drowning happened before the narrator opened his eyes; "thinking" is a present participle indicating an ongoing thought.

• Who cares? I don't make it back on the move; I'm already thinking I'm dead.

  ➔ Negative present simple (don't); present continuous (thinking) for a current ongoing state.

  ➔ "don't" is the negative form of the present simple, denying the action; "thinking" uses the present continuous to show an ongoing mental state.

• I said it was August the 14th day of the month 2001.

  ➔ Reported speech: reporting verb in past (said) + backshifting of tense (was).

  ➔ "said" is the past reporting verb, and "was" is backshifted from present "is" because the reporting verb is in the past.

• Why is he always so specific, youngin? You hear my story, don't question me.

  ➔ Inversion in a direct question (Why is he…); negative imperative (don't question).

  ➔ "is" precedes the subject "he" to form a question, and "don't" starts a negative command telling the listener not to question.