Hoping I Would Set Free Chains – English Lyrics

• By: 2Pac

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into 2Pac's foundational track, "Panther Power," to explore the powerful language of social commentary and resistance in hip-hop. This song offers a raw glimpse into his early political awakening, shaped by his Black Panther roots. Learning its lyrics can illuminate powerful vocabulary and expressions used to challenge injustice and express defiance, making it special for its historical context and enduring message of empowerment and critical thought.

[English]

- When I was pregnant in jail,

I thought I was gonna have a baby,

and the baby would never be with me.

But I was acquitted a month and three days

before Tupac was born.

I was real happy because I had a son.

♪ When I was young me and my mama had beef ♪

♪ 17 years old kicked out on the streets ♪

♪ Though back at the time, I never thought I'd see her face ♪

♪ Ain't a woman alive that could take my mama's place ♪

♪ Suspended from school, and scared to go home, I was a fool ♪

♪ With the big boys, breaking all the rules ♪

♪ I shed tears with my baby sister ♪

♪ Over the years we was poorer than the other little kids ♪

♪ And even though we had different daddies, the same drama ♪

♪ When things went wrong we'd blame Mama ♪

♪ I reminisce on the stress I caused, it was hell ♪

♪ Hugging on my mama from a jail cell ♪

♪ And who'd think in elementary ♪

♪ Hey, I see the penitentiary, one day ♪

♪ And running from the police, that's right ♪

♪ Mama catch me, put a whooping to my backside ♪

♪ And even as a crack fiend, Mama ♪

♪ You always was a black queen, Mama ♪

♪ I finally understand ♪

♪ For a woman it ain't easy trying to raise a man ♪

♪ You always was committed ♪

♪ A poor single mother on welfare, tell me how ya did it ♪

♪ There's no way I can pay you back ♪

♪ But the plan is to show you that I understand ♪

♪ You are appreciated ♪

♪ Lady, don't you know we love ya ♪

♪ Dear Mama ♪

♪ Sweet lady, place no one above ya ♪

♪ You are appreciated ♪

♪ Sweet lady, don't you know we love ya ♪

♪ Now ain't nobody tell us it was fair ♪

♪ No love from my daddy 'cause the coward wasn't there ♪

♪ He passed away and I didn't cry, 'cause my anger ♪

♪ Wouldn't let me feel for a stranger ♪

♪ They say I'm wrong and I'm heartless, but all along ♪

♪ I was looking for a father he was gone ♪

♪ I hung around with the thugs, ♪

♪ And even though they sold drugs ♪

♪ They showed a young brother love ♪

♪ I moved out and started really hanging ♪

♪ I needed money of my own so I started slanging ♪

♪ I ain't guilty 'cause, even though I sell rocks ♪

♪ It feels good putting money in your mailbox ♪

♪ I love paying rent when the rent's due ♪

♪ I hope ya got the diamond necklace that I sent to you ♪

♪ 'Cause when I was low you was there for me ♪

♪ You never left me alone because you cared for me ♪

♪ And I could see you coming home after work late ♪

♪ You're in the kitchen trying to fix us a hot plate ♪

♪ Ya just working with the scraps you was given ♪

♪ And Mama made miracles every Thanksgiving ♪

♪ But now the road got rough, you're alone ♪

♪ You're trying to raise two bad kids on your own ♪

♪ nd there's no way I can pay you back ♪

♪ But my plan is to show you that I understand ♪

♪ You are appreciated ♪

♪ Lady, don't you know we love ya ♪

♪ Dear Mama ♪

♪ Sweet lady, place no one above ya ♪

♪ You are appreciated ♪

♪ Sweet lady, don't you know we love ya ♪

♪ Pour out some liquor and I reminisce ♪

♪ 'Cause through the drama I can always depend on my mama ♪

♪ And when it seems that I'm hopeless ♪

♪ You say the words that can get me back in focus ♪

♪ When I was sick as a little kid ♪

♪ To keep me happy there's no limit to the things you did ♪

♪ And all my childhood memories ♪

♪ Are full of all the sweet things you did for me ♪

♪ And even though I act crazy ♪

♪ I gotta thank the Lord that you made me ♪

♪ There are no words that can express how I feel ♪

♪ You never kept a secret, always stayed real ♪

♪ And I appreciate, how you raised me ♪

♪ And all the extra love that you gave me ♪

♪ I wish I could take the pain away ♪

♪ If you can make it through the night ♪

♪ There's a brighter day ♪

♪ Everything will be alright if ya hold on ♪

♪ It's a struggle everyday, gotta roll on ♪

♪ And there's no way I can pay you back ♪

♪ But my plan is to show you that I understand ♪

♪ You are appreciated ♪

♪ Lady, don't you know we love ya ♪

♪ Dear Mama ♪

♪ Sweet lady, place no one above ya ♪

♪ You are appreciated ♪

♪ Sweet lady, don't you know we love ya ♪

♪ Dear Mama ♪

♪ Sweet lady ♪

♪ Dear Mama ♪

♪ Lady ♪

♪ Lady ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
mama /ˈmɑːmə/ A1	noun - mother
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of affection verb - to feel affection for
home /hoʊm/ A1	noun - the place where one lives
tears /tɪərz/ A2	noun - drops of liquid from the eyes
money /ˈmʌni/ A1	noun - a current medium of exchange in the form of coins and banknotes
days /deɪz/ A1	noun - plural of day
years /jɪərz/ A1	noun - plural of year
streets /striːts/ A2	noun - a public road in a city or town
jail /dʒeɪl/ B1	noun - a place for the confinement of people accused or convicted of a crime
cell /sɛl/ B1	noun - a small room in which a prisoner is locked up
stress /strɛs/ B2	noun - a state of mental or emotional strain or tension
crack /kræk/ B2	noun - a form of cocaine that is smoked
fiend /fiːnd/ C1	noun - an evil spirit or demon. noun - a person who is extremely enthusiastic about something
welfare /ˈwɛlfeər/ B2	noun - the health, happiness, and fortunes of a person or group
anger /ˈæŋɡər/ B2	noun - a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility.
drugs /drʌɡz/ B1	noun - a medicine or other substance which has a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body.
mailbox /ˈmeɪlbɒks/ B1	noun - a private box for the delivery of mail.
miracles /ˈmɪrəkəlz/ B2	noun - an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs.
struggle /ˈstrʌɡ(ə)l/ B2	noun - a forceful or violent effort to get free of restraint or resist attack. verb - make forceful or violent efforts to get free of restraint or resist attack.

Key Grammar Structures

• Though back at the time, I never thought I'd see her face

  ➔ Contrasting Conjunction 'Though' + Conditional 'I'd see'

  ➔ 'Though' introduces a contrasting idea to the previous statement. 'I'd see' is a contraction of 'I would see', expressing a hypothetical or conditional situation.

• Ain't a woman alive that could take my mama's place

  ➔ Double Negative ('Ain't' + 'alive') + Relative Clause ('that could take')

  ➔ 'Ain't' is a non-standard contraction of 'is not' or 'are not', used here for emphasis. The phrase 'that could take' introduces a relative clause describing which woman.

• And even as a crack fiend, Mama, You always was a black queen, Mama

  ➔ Prepositional Phrase ('as a crack fiend') + Past Continuous (was)

  ➔ The phrase 'as a crack fiend' describes the mother's state, using 'as' to indicate the role or condition. 'Was' indicates continuous quality.

• For a woman it ain't easy trying to raise a man

  ➔ Subject-verb Inversion ('it ain't easy') + Gerund ('trying')

  ➔ 'It ain't easy' is a common expression where 'it' serves as a dummy subject, and 'trying' is used as a gerund, functioning as a noun to describe the activity.

• There's no way I can pay you back

  ➔ Existential 'There's' + Modal Verb ('can')

  ➔ 'There's' indicates the existence of something (no way). 'Can' indicates ability.

• Now ain't nobody tell us it was fair

  ➔ Double Negative ('Ain't' + 'nobody') + Past Tense ('was')

  ➔ 'Ain't' and 'nobody' together create a double negative, emphasizing that no one told them life was fair. 'Was' indicates a past state.

• I ain't guilty 'cause, even though I sell rocks, it feels good putting money in your mailbox

  ➔ Contraction + because ('Ain't', 'cause') + Subordinating Conjunction ('even though') + Gerund ('putting')

  ➔ 'Ain't' is a non-standard contraction of 'am not'. 'Cause' is a shortening of 'because'. 'Even though' introduces a concession. 'Putting' is a gerund, indicating the action is a noun in this context.