The playground kids are all the same (oh...)
They stick together for the game (for the game)
As they grow up their friendships change (oh...)
Insulting starts, it's the teen age
(Oh-oh-oh)
Children!
(Oh-oh-oh)
Listen!
I'm down on my knees
Friends now enemies
I'm not looking pretty
Spat upon with hate and mockery
People wanna hurt and injure me
So now the kids are looking dirty
I get sick of trying
I'm worn out fighting prejudice
Wiping off those dirty offenses
So now the kids are looking dirty
Their scars and scrapes don't make them frail (oh)
Your words won't put them down again (down again)
Inside they're damaged but they'll still
Show you that they don't give a sh-
(Oh-oh-oh)
Children
(Oh-oh-oh)
Listen
I'm left standing here
Daring you to throw your stones
I'm not looking pretty
Spat upon with hate and mockery
People wanna hurt and injure me
So now the kids are looking dirty
I get sick of trying
I'm worn out fighting prejudice
Wiping off those dirty offenses
So now the kids are looking dirty
Yeah, uh-uh (now the kids are looking dirty)
Uh-uh, yeah, Lil Trip, y'all, uh (now the kids are looking dirty)
Why can't we all live in peace?
We've got the world at our feet
But still you keep on hating
'Cause you're different than me
Don't wanna make no enemies
I just wish that I was free
Run the world like whoop
Be who I wanna be
Y'all keep hurting each other
Although you call yourselves brothers
Now you're looking to me
Like who's the next one to suffer?
Yeah, we can't stop the heat
We keep it hot on the beat
Now we're about to show the world
What we're destined to be yeah
(La-la-la...)
Now we're about to show the world
What we're destined to be, yeah
(La-la-la...) uh-uh, uh-uh
Now we're about to show the world
What we're destined to be, yeah
So we're not looking pretty
Spat upon with hate and mockery
People wanna make us feel messy
Children!
We're not looking pretty
Spat upon with hate and mockery
People wanna make us feel dirty
So now the kids are looking dirty
We get sick of trying
We're worn out fighting prejudice
Wiping off those dirty offenses
So now the kids are looking dirty
Yes, we're looking dirty
But this will not bring us down
Messy children
Yes, we're looking dirty
But this will not bring us down
Messy children