1. Man In The Mirror Won't you tell me who's to blame for my stuttered speech? some say genetic; others say it's caused by hectic lifestyles... faget it; nobody understands the true meaning; give me books and videos, but I still find myself screamin'; for a answer; that it seems I cannot find by myself; so I found Dr. Healey and begged for his help; pain in my heart sometimes I've gotta let go; and if you listen real close, you might hear my crushed soul; Now they wanna know...what a block feels like; It's like in the middle of your sentence somebody grabs your windpipe; your jaw locks, you can't breath..your heads spun out; ‘Voorspel’ And all this madness caused from a word that you trying to pronounce; Now in the early days when people had problems that didn't seem norm; they called em curses because...they had no answers for'em; that's what this is... my own true curse; when I look in the mirror...I tell him it hurts. I wanna show the world I stutter, but I know what you'd say; So when we have conversations, sometimes I look away; I don't wanna see your reaction on the way that I look; and the pain you read this moment is hard to hold in a book; Sometimes I stutter hard y'all, right from the very beginnin'; I know what I'm gone say, you don't have to finish my sentence; I stand before you with ease, don't let it fool ya; I'm a stutterer for the rest of life, I'm scared of my future; Chorus. This is the way that I talk, I can't help who I am; And if I could, I wouldn't change who I am; Now if you've never stuttered you may not understand; I hated the man in the mirror; Now I accept who I am. ((REPEAT)) This is why I make music; it comes so easy to do it; I write a song everyday; because I love to be fluent; I got dreams to achieve; and it's time to go get em; I speak my words out loud y'all, hope that you feel em; talking in public places?; I would leave it alone; when I stayed home; I won't even answer the phone; I was afraid of what might happen when I pick up; so many pauses in my voice the other end would just hang up; Tears would roll slowly down my cheeks; run to bed and curl myself up in my sheets; trying to figure out this disability;....yeah, I played it off; but on the inside y'all it was killing me; are you feeling me?; or am I just one of a kind?; I don't think so, anyone who stutters should feel this rhyme; see in time; I learned to be stronger about my situation; now I use tools to help my motivation; continuos phonation; as I speak out my sentence; from an easy onset I used back in the beginnin'; I'm tellin' you...nothing is impossible to achieve; just look at me..living proof of what happens; if you believe. Chorus. This is the way that I talk, I can't help who I am; And if I could, I wouldn't change who I am; Now if you've never stuttered you may not understand; I hated the man in the mirror; Now I accept who I am. ((REPEAT)) Sometimes I feel less than worthy; crying to myself because it hurts me; as my mind replays the faces of those who heard me; my head jumbles back, and the first syllable is repeated; I got something to say.....I..I I I...I just can't speak it; It's like something inside holds me back; well would you please let go, and could I please have my voice back!!; living as a man today, I just wanna live good; still having the effects from a wounded childhood; everyday I was laughed at, I reached a point I couldn't take the pain; so in junior high, I just used my middle name; I even made imaginary friends just for me; so when I spoke, no one would laugh at me; Then one day, I found a way; to live my wish- I sing a song....I been writing ever since; See when I'm rappin', I'm something else; I'm not myself; but through this music, I've found a way to love myself; so here I am now living out a new today; I'd like to thank you for the invite to the NSA convention; rapping loud-for all of you to listen; to the story which I shared for the parents down to the children; but let me leave you with one note; one final quote; when your at home and your feeling down on your hope; you find a mirror, bring all your pain leave none aside; look into your eyes and repeat my lines... Chorus. This is the way that I talk, I can't help who I am; And if I could, I wouldn't change who I am; Now if you've never stuttered you may not understand; I hated the man in the mirror; Now I accept who I am. This is the way that I talk, I can't help who I am; And if I could, I wouldn't change who I am; Now if you've never stuttered you may not understand; I hated the man in the mirror; But now I LOVE who I am. © 2004 Frankie Jones, all rights reserved