Didn't take nothing that I didn't need
'Cause they didn't offer classes in what I wanna be
They didn't offer manhood, responsibility
Had to learn it the hard way
Earn my degree in the streets
Graduated from hard knocks
I got my education, and hard knocks
Gettin' in and out of situations
Hard knocks
Got the bumps and the bruises to prove it
Hard knocks
Can't bust through the ceiling without feeling the burn
And I ain't got nothing that I didn't earn
Chasing that dollar, still hittin' the books
Studying Donnie and Stevie, I learned to sail the hooks
Talk about those hard knocks
Got the bumps and the bruises to prove it
Hard knocks
Got the right and the reason to choose it
Hard knocks
I torn the streets
Hard knocks
Had a real good teacher named Mr. Life
Didn't teach no chemistry, but he taught me how to fight
Didn't teach biology, but I learned it from the birds and the bees
Said stay close to your friends closer to your enemies
(Oh yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah)
That's right
(Oh yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah)
That's right
(Oh yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah)
So right
I graduated from hard knocks
I got my education, and hard knocks
Gettin' in and out of situations
Hard knocks
Got the bumps and the bruises to prove it
Hard knocks, oh Lord