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We've all seen a man at the liquor store beggin' for your change
The hair on his face is dirty, dread-locked, and full of mange
He asks a man for what he could spare, with shame in his eyes
"Get a job you fucking slob," is all he replies
God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in his shoes
Cause then you really might know what it's like to sing the blues
[Chorus]
Then you really might know what it's like
Then you really might know what it's like
Then you really might know what it's like
Then you really might know what it's like
Mary got pregnant from a kid named Tom that said he was in love
He said, "Don't worry about a thing, baby doll
I'm the man you've been dreaming of."
But three months later he say he won't date her or return her calls
And she swear, "God damn, if I find that man I'm cuttin' off his balls."
And then she heads for the clinic and
She gets some static walking through the door
They call her a killer, and they call her a sinner
And they call her a whore
God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in her shoes
Cause then you really might know what it's like to have to choose
[Chorus]
I've seen a rich man beg
I've seen a good man sin
I've seen a tough man cry
I've seen a loser win
And a sad man grin
I heard an honest man lie
I've seen the good side of bad
And the downside of up
And everything between
I licked the silver spoon
Drank from the golden cup
And smoked the finest green
I stroked the fattest dimes at least a couple of times
Before I broke their heart
You know where it ends, yo, it usually depends on where you start
I knew this kid named Max
Who used to get fat stacks out on the corner with drugs
He liked to hang out late
He liked to get shit-faced and keep the pace with thugs
Until late one night there was a big gun fight and Max lost his head
He pulled out his chrome .45, talked some shit, and wound up dead
Now his wife and his kids are caught in the midst of all of this pain
You know it comes that way
At least that's what they say when you play the game
God forbid you ever had to wake up to hear the news
Cause then you really might know what it's like to have to lose
Then you really might know what it's like
Then you really might know what it's like
Then you really might know what it's like...to have to lose
The hair on his face is dirty, dread-locked, and full of mange
He asks a man for what he could spare, with shame in his eyes
"Get a job you fucking slob," is all he replies
God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in his shoes
Cause then you really might know what it's like to sing the blues
[Chorus]
Then you really might know what it's like
Then you really might know what it's like
Then you really might know what it's like
Then you really might know what it's like
Mary got pregnant from a kid named Tom that said he was in love
He said, "Don't worry about a thing, baby doll
I'm the man you've been dreaming of."
But three months later he say he won't date her or return her calls
And she swear, "God damn, if I find that man I'm cuttin' off his balls."
And then she heads for the clinic and
She gets some static walking through the door
They call her a killer, and they call her a sinner
And they call her a whore
God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in her shoes
Cause then you really might know what it's like to have to choose
[Chorus]
I've seen a rich man beg
I've seen a good man sin
I've seen a tough man cry
I've seen a loser win
And a sad man grin
I heard an honest man lie
I've seen the good side of bad
And the downside of up
And everything between
I licked the silver spoon
Drank from the golden cup
And smoked the finest green
I stroked the fattest dimes at least a couple of times
Before I broke their heart
You know where it ends, yo, it usually depends on where you start
I knew this kid named Max
Who used to get fat stacks out on the corner with drugs
He liked to hang out late
He liked to get shit-faced and keep the pace with thugs
Until late one night there was a big gun fight and Max lost his head
He pulled out his chrome .45, talked some shit, and wound up dead
Now his wife and his kids are caught in the midst of all of this pain
You know it comes that way
At least that's what they say when you play the game
God forbid you ever had to wake up to hear the news
Cause then you really might know what it's like to have to lose
Then you really might know what it's like
Then you really might know what it's like
Then you really might know what it's like...to have to lose
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If I'm not mistaken, the first verse of this song references or seems inspired by the first verse of "The Way It Is" by Bruce Hornsby. In that song, a guy tells a woman waiting in the welfare line to "get a job!"
Did anyone else think that was a Hornsby reference?
"Tens" - thus, "Dimes."
"We've all seen the man at the liquor store
Beggin' for your change
The hair on his face is dirty, dreadlocked
And full of mange
He ask the man for what he could spare
With shame in his eyes
"Get a job, you fuckin' slob"'s all he replied"
- It's a homeless man with a skin disease who is shameful of the situation he is in. The man who walked by was representing an arrogant man who didn't consider anything of the homeless man. Maybe he was homeless because he couldnt afford the treatment to his disease?
"God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in his shoes
'Cause then you really might know what it's like to sing the blues
Then you really might know what it's like"
-Don't degrate a man because of his position. Anyone could wind up like him. i.e Rags to riches to rags
"Mary got pregnant from a kid named Tom
Who said he was in love
He said "Don't worry about a thing, baby doll
I'm the man you've been dreamin' of,"
But three months later
He said he won't date her or return her call
And she sweared "God damn, if I find that man
I'm cuttin' off his balls,"
And then she heads for the clinic
And she gets some static walkin' through the doors
They call her a killer, and they call her a sinner
And they call her a whore"
- Mary fell in love with a man who lied to her about his committments. He betrayed her and broke her heart. She went and got an abortion, while people considered her a murderer. Maybe she pictured a life with the man of her dreams to raise her kid?. Maybe she couldn't see it without him?. Nor did she get any advice or guidence?. Money Problems?, maybe.
"God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in her shoes
'Cause then you really might know what it's like to have to choose
Then you really might know what it's like"
- You have to expierence the situation to make a choice for something like that. Giving up a beautiful gift means there was an ugly problem. You can consider a difference, but be greatful you don't have to make a choice like that.
"I've seen a rich man beg
I've seen a good man sin
I've seen a tough man cry
I've seen a loser win
And a sad man grin
I heard an honest man lie
I've seen the good side of bad
And the down side of up
And everything between
I licked the silver spoon
Drank from the golden cup
Smoked the finest green
I stroked the baddest dimes at least a couple of times
Before I broke their heart
You know where it ends
Yo, it usually depends on where you start"
- Ironies. The circumstances could be the same for anyone.
"I knew this kid named Max
He used to get fat stacks out on the corner with drugs
He liked to hang out late at night
Liked to get shit faced
And keep pace with thugs
Until late one night there was a big gun fight
Max lost his head
He pulled out his chrome .45
Talked some shit
And wound up dead
Now his wife and his kids
Are caught in the midst of all of his pain
You know it crumbles that way
At least that's what they say
When you play the game"
- Max didn't consider how far his situation could go, nor did he consider the pain he would leave behind to the people who loved him. Pain.
"God forbid you ever had to wake up to hear the news
'Cause then you really might know what it's like to have to lose
Then you really might know what it's like
To have to lose..."
- Be greatful to not wake up to find out someone you love is on the news... You don't deserve that pain.
All in all it's about accepting life for what it is. Yes it could be better, but it could also be worse.