It's 2:28, a.m. that is and my precious baby boy is fast asleep
All day long I’ve been feeling weak
You see, I’ve been going down like a pilot calling for mayday
Trying to figure out how the hell I’m goning to make it before payday

Thought it was going to be the end when I picked him up from daycare, Ms.  
Your son needs some more diapers.  “Oh, really”, I said.  
“No problem”, but when I stepped outside I broke down and cried 
Anybody who would have seen me, would have thought that somebody had died
I try to talk it out with my friends and they tell me, you know, you have God.
And even though I know that this much might be true, 
sometimes my faith gets a little shaky when the rent is due

Sitting here watching an infomercial about losing a few pounds
Thinking if only that was the only thing that had me feeling down
Haven’t seen his father since he was three months old in my womb
My son is 17 months now; I guess his father still needs some breathing room

And my mother, well she’s no help to me, 
because she wants me to put her first and my son second.  
Asking me for money every payday like I’m a human bank
Wanted me to keep her floating while in the meanwhile I’m about to sank
 I couldn’t afford our relationship anymore and now she doesn’t call
But I didn’t lose a mother, just lost a user was all


And then there are them days when my mind has a lot of reservations
On dealing with the basic principles of self preservation
I pull out every weapon in the world to try to keep going on
Every “you can do it” phrase and “it’s gonna be alright” song
Going back and forth from Maya Angelou’s, I rise, to Tupacs, Keep your head up
But when that’s over, I’m still looking at an empty cup

Get myself together and pull out the change, 10, 20, 30; yeah that’s right, 
I said 10, 20, 30; ‘cause you see these are the dimes
I had used up all of my quarters the last time
So, that makes four dollars and that will be enough to get to work on that California freeway 
and I can take my lunch, so that will give me some leeway.

Get some diapers from home to take to daycare, and I’ve almost done it again
Still got a long way to go in this war, but this battle I’m about to win
Iron his clothes for tomorrow, call and work out a payment plan for the gas, water, and lights; 
I will have to push them off until the payday after next. 
Pay the rent, put half on the phone 
and then my future paycheck for the past due bills I’m budgeting for will be gone.

Its 3:42, a.m. that is and I just figured out a way
I’ve got my plan in place, on how I’m gone make it until I get to the next payday
But don’t feel sorry for me, I’m no better than any other
This is what we have to do, this is the life of a single mother