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)