| Didn’t take nothing that I didn’t need
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| 'Cause they didn’t offer classes in what I want to be
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| They didn’t offer manhood responsibility
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| Had to learn it the hard way, earn my degree in the streets
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| Graduated from hard knocks, I got my education
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| And hard knocks cared a little about the situation
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| Hard knocks, got the bumps and the bruises to prove it
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| Hard knocks
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| Can’t bust through the ceiling without feeling the burn
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| And I ain’t got nothing that I didn’t earn
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| Chasing that dollar, still hitting the books
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| Studying Donnie and Stevie, I learn to sail the hooks
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| Talk about those hard knocks, got the bumps and the bruises to prove it
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| Hard knocks, got the rhyme and the reason to choose it
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| Hard knocks out on the streets
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| Hard knocks
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| Had a real good teacher named Mr. Life
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| Didn’t teach no chemistry but he taught me how to fight
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| Didn’t teach biology but I learned it from the birds and the bees
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| Said stay close to your friends, closer to your enemies
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| Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that’s right
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| Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah that’s right
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| Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, so right
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| I graduated from hard knocks, I got my education
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| And hard knocks getting in and out of situations
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| Hard knocks, got the bumps and the bruises to prove it
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| Hard knocks, oh Lord
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| Feeling at my soul, all the heads in pain
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| From my hard knocks
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| I’ve got the bumps and the bruises to prove it
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| Deep inside, oh yeah |