[INTRO]

youths!! reality check, face to face with life
when last si mi give thanks fi protection life(totally
gotta make a sacrifice) chadonese join up! health strength
food(reality yeeah)check yourself mirror, yeah! demarco
(believe mi) Busy prayer get to you twice thrice yeeeah
ghetto prayer! reality check(prayerx2)believe mi nuh
demarco peace


[CHORUS]

protect me oh father when the devil tempt me yeah I
try to work harder to keep myself from drowning keep
my head above water, cause life aint easy as it's
getting shorter tell you the truth growing up as a
youth mama always told me make money get that loot(youths)
speak up fi your rights and never you be a mute
never you be a mute, never you be a mute(tough)


[VERSE 1]

wid mi third eye we trying to spot dem, these are the days
fi find di times di means di ways di hope stick aside shock dem
mi could a be one of di youths wid di shot dem ah run
through di scheme, bruk all di shop dem mi could ah
loot or shoot but mi choose music over mac .10 big up top 10
cah ghetto youths caan rise and be one ah di richest inna
di top 10 youths! be what you wanna, some ah dj some ah
play ball nuff ah dem start from a star(ambition)suh dem
ah aim fi own dem owna mall, when di youths dem rise and make
it badmind will try to take it I see dem ah fake it jah protect
us sire


[CHORUS]

protect me oh father when the devil tempt me yeah I
try to work harder to keep myself from drowning keep
my head above water, cause life aint easy as it's
getting shorter tell you the truth growing up as a
youth mama always told me make money get that loot
speak up fi your rights and never you be a mute
never you be a mute, never you be a mute


[VERSE 2]

we ah guh work fi weh wi want, wi nah depend pon people
wi nah catch on to dem like weeble, almighty ah wi shield
protect wi from evil, nuh mek dem tell you seh you caan yeah
drive expensive vehicle, we di bwoy dem ah drag in vehicle
none ah dem caan stop di youths dem from soaring like eagle
because dem want you fi fight, station youth don't get feeble
nuh badda turn to di coke or da needle, bout dem force you
fi do certain things you nuh need to, so jah protect us
over all all all all di days of our life fi all di tears di
ghetto youth dem bawl yeah! Jah



[CHORUS]

protect me oh father when the devil tempt me yeah I
try to work harder to keep myself from drowning keep
my head above water, cause life aint easy as it's
getting shorter tell you the truth growing up as a
youth mama always told me make money get that loot(youths)
speak up fi your rights and never you be a mute
never you be a mute, never you be a mute believe mi