Lyrics Parents Are the Hardest People to Please - Suli Breaks

This is to every parent who has never heard
Or will hear the words:
"You don′t believe in me"
"You don't understand me"
Come out of their kid′s mouth
Because they're too respectful to disrespect you
So I say it for them
You act as thought you were never like me before
Like you were never young and foolish
And far from a model student
Did you forget that you once walked in my shoes?
When you would fall into stupidity toes and feet first
Play with life although many times told to rehearse
Jumped into relationships and chose to forgo the research
Like you ain't been there, done that, and bought the t-shirt
Like you never had a dream that you would strive for
One that you were willing to dedicate your life for
You act as thought you were perfect
When you parlay your knowledge around as though you were equiped with it
I′ll say it straight
Most parents are hypocrites
Cuz you can forget that you were once exactly like me
Except when it′s time to remind me
That you know better
And close your argument with:
"Experience is the best teacher"
But you see, that doesn't always work
Because just because you spent years in the classroom
That doesn′t meant that you alway learned
And just because you experienced something
That doesn't mean that we have to infer
That you were the best student either
And I′ll openly that in most instances parents are right
But it's not about our decisions being right or wrong
It′s more about using your experience to sympathise
And let us know that you at least understand where we're coming from
Cuz at least then we can take that in all seriousness and then decide
But instead it's some big "You′re small, I′m right, you're wrong and there′s nothing you can do about it"
You make out decisions sound irrational, impractical
When I'm sure there was a time when you had the exact same thought
When you probably didn′t know what you wanted to do with your life by the time you were 18
And had not already achieved it by 25
And when it came to everything else it was all about patience and timing, right?
But when it came to me and my life those lessons no longer applied
Cuz I had to be great tomorrow
Or my plans have to work out today
If I'm not a millionaire right now
Then all my efforts have been in vain
We look up to you as our teachers and our leaders
But how are we supposed to achieve success if the person that′s supposed to be our biggest fan is never in the bleachers
It's like chasing a dream with a coach that has no faith in the team
Cuz I barely got any support from my par-rents
Until I could afford to pay rent
My mom went from not giving a damn to my biggest fan
Before, it was just a hobby
Something I was supposed to do one the weekend
An issue of concern at parent's evening
Apparently I was aiming for a fruitless target
But now her son′s success is a topic of discussion every time she bumps into old friends at the supermarket
To parents whose son spends all day playing football games on that Xbox and that PS3
That you spent too much money on just to shut him up for his birthday
Well did you know that there are thousands of people on YouTube
Making money from doing exactly the same?
And millions of more opportunities and industries relating to game
Have to ever tried to cultivate that interest?
Have you ever even touched the controller
Except when he left it on the floor
And you broke it by accidentally stepping on it
Withering in pain
Watching him complain
As you told him that you′re not going to buy him a new own cuz it shouldn't have been on the floor in the first place?
And every time he slips in a grade or stays out too late you locked it away
I know a girl who, according to her parents
Spent too much time at singer recitals
So they tell her to shut up so they can watch American Idol
I know a child who is trying to start a business
Which his parents have never showed an interest in
Or have a penny invested
But still encourage him to sit down with them and watch The Apprentice
What about the ones that are constantly emphasizing the importance of having a back up plan
The kicker is the backup plan concept
I don′t even need to explain that because everybody knows what I'm referring to
But let me put it like this:
How comfortable would you feel
Standing on the front line with a general
Who keeps emphasizing your role and it′s importance
But spend his whole time investing his efforts in the reinforcements?
Just think for a second
Cuz if you show more interest is a person's backup plan
Than their actual plan
Then you′re actually, accurately, fractionally, factually, impractically, tactfully, didactically, drastically
Showing where your faith his plan actually stands
Put yourself in our sneakers for a bit
And cuz statistics show, I think, that between 16 and 18, your feet no longer grow
So it's not that it don't fit, it′s just that since you started walking on water you′ve forgotten it
And stop trying to overshadow but understand us kids
Cuz eventually when they become adults
Any success they have, rather than just contributing, I bet you'd rather they say that you were actually a part of it
Peace
No actually wait
Cuz apparently I′m a patron on confusion
And never offer any solutions to fairly obvious conclusions
Simply because I feel it's not my place to say that my opinion works for everyone
But just in this instance, here is a simple one
Talk to your little one
Cuz no matter how much you like to believe it
It′s two-thousand-and-thirteen and no one is really a kid anymore
With access to clips at our fingertips
We're exposed to the world without having to open the front door
So ask them what their dream is
How and what we, not they, we, can do to achieve it
Your children are your biggest asset
So invest time in speaking
Invest time in listening
Invest time in hearing
Invest time in learning how to play Pro Evolution Soccer
And fashion trends and sing Beyonce
Just invest time in not just being a responsible adult
But the one who′s laughter would fill the room
At the fact that we were stupid enough to eat our own snot
Or the one that would teach us, not scold us, for not being able to pee in pot
Watch cartoons and parental advisory movies with us past 11 o'clock
Spend hours playing peek-a-boo at the end of our cots
And I agree, you spoiled a child if you spared the rod
But ultimately
We just want you to believe in us
Cuz a family is the strongest corporation that you can have
Yeah
Peace