If you only knew the real, if you only knew the real, if you only knew the real
How much I had to struggle with my sister and my cousin
And I always stayed in trouble and at times I missed my mother
If you only knew the real, if you only knew the real, if you only knew the real
How much I had to struggle with my sister and my cousin
And I always stayed in trouble and at times I missed my mother
It was like yesterday, me and my cousin Dre
On the block playing basketball, I'm fading like Hardaway
Feel like I'm Michael J, wish I could go see my cousin's face
And tell her I'm rowing because, man, it's gon' be okay
Why did you go? Why did you leave?
Why do I feel like you had to leave?
Am I just being too selfish to see?
Look, cause you was only 17
But that's one instance to add on to another
Cause there was times at night that I was missing my mother
Every day it plays in my mind
Why my mama didn't lie?
Won't you come out and hug me?
Don't you see that I'm crying?
But that right there made me stronger than them now
I'm young but I'm thinking like a grown man now
If you only knew the real, George
If you only knew the real, George
If you only knew the real, George
If you only knew the real
How much I had to struggle
Me and my sisters and my cousins
And I always stayed in trouble
And at times I missed my mother
If you only knew the real, George
If you only knew the real, George
If you only knew the real, George
How much I had to struggle
Me and my sisters and my cousins
And I always stayed in trouble
And at times I missed my mother
If you only knew the real me
I ain't had to struggle
But my mother had to struggle
So yes I had to struggle uh
You gonna make me cry now

You gon' do it and I gon' do it
You gon' do it and I'm gon' do it
It ain't never nothin' to it
Shout out to my mom
You made me who I am
And I thank you for it
You created my whole plan
Thank you for prayin' for me
Stand on cloud one, gon' solve nothin'
Cause every time I turn around
I'm involved in somethin'
I told myself that I'm too young for this
But then again, that's what I'm made for this
My only wish is to fulfill my dreams
And one of my dreams is to make MTV
If you only knew the real George
If you only knew the real George
If you only knew the real
How much I had to struggle
Me, my sister, and my cousin
And I always stayed in trouble
And at times I missed my mother
If you only knew the real George
If you only knew the real
If you only knew the real
If you only knew the real