My mama don't understand
She's impossible to the core
Now she says that she's gettin' married
He's a friend of a friend of the boy next door

He's got all of the best intentions
Half of a school degree
When he does his song and dancin'
They know they can be happy as the shows on TV

She needs a change, she wants a life
Where she can grow and they can thrive
Some kind of space of her own

A different view, another slant
Another way, another chance
To get on with her life

(Mama she don't understand)
Mama she don't
She don't even know
She don't know
She don't understand

She's gotta know
If she can cut life on her own
But like the man says
'You can never go home again'

You gotta come see the new place
Mom, you're gonna feel right at home
Could you just front that deposit
Mama, we'll pay you back when the welfare check comes

Nothin's gone as expected
No one knows all the trouble we've seen
But we'll pull ourselves together
It's the two of us now, of course, baby makes three

A little luck, an even break
We'll find a way to have our cake
And even eat a piece or two

We'll show you how
We're winnin' now
We'll live it up
Can't keep 'em down

She don't understand me
Don't understand me

So mama, please understand
(Mama, please understand)
If it's possible, we implore
Could we just move in these few things
We won't get in the way and we'll sleep on the floor

'Cuz, times have been getting tougher
(Times have been getting tough)
It's an unfriendly world outside
They say things will pick up by summer
Can we borrow the car, will you watch little Clyde
Thanks a lot

Mama don't understand
Mama don't understand me

Mama don't understand
Mama don't understand me
(Mama don't understand me)
(Mama don't understand me, no)

Mama don't understand
She don't understand me
(Mama don't understand me)
(Mama, she don't understand me, yeah)