I know I can   Be what I wanna be   If I work hard at it   I'll be where I wanna be      I know I can   (I know I can)   Be what I wanna be   (Be what I wanna be)   If I work hard at it   (If I work hard at it)   I'll be where I wanna be   (I'll be where I wanna be)      Be, b-boys and girls, listen up   You can be anything in the world, in God we trust   An architect, doctor, maybe an actress   But nothing comes easy, it takes much practice   Like, I met a woman who's becoming a star   She was very beautiful, leaving people in awe   Singing songs, Lina Horn, but the younger version   Hung with the wrong person, got her strung on that heroin      Cocaine sniffing up drugs all in her nose   Coulda died, so young, now looks ugly and old   No fun 'cause now when she reaches for hugs people hold they breath   'Cause she smells of corrosion and death   Watch the company you keep and the crowd you bring   'Cause they came to do drugs and you came to sing   So if you gonna be the best, I'm a tell you how   Put your hands in the air and take a vow      I know I can   (I know I can)   Be what I wanna be   (Be what I wanna be)   If I work hard at it   (If I work hard at it)   I'll be where I wanna be   (I'll be where I wanna be)      I know I can   (I know I can)   Be what I wanna be   (Be what I wanna be)   If I work hard at it   (If I work hard at it)   I'll be where I wanna be   (I'll be where I wanna be)      Be, b-boys and girls, listen again   This is for grown looking girls who's only ten   The ones who watch videos and do what they see   As cute as can be, up in the club with fake ID   Careful, 'fore you meet a man with HIV   You can host the TV like Oprah Winfrey   Whatever you decide, be careful, some men be   Rapists, so act your age, don't pretend to be      Older than you are, give yourself time to grow   You thinking he can give you wealth, but so   Young boys, you can use a lot of help, you know   You thinking life's all about smoking weed and ice   You don't wanna be my age and can't read and write   Begging different women for a place to sleep at night   Smart boys turn to men and do whatever they wish   If you believe you can achieve, then say it like this      I know I can   (I know I can)   Be what I wanna be   (Be what I wanna be)   If I work hard at it   (If I work hard at it)   I'll be where I wanna be   (I'll be where I wanna be)      I know I can   (I know I can)   Be what I wanna be   (Be what I wanna be)   If I work hard at it   (If I work hard at it)   I'll be where I wanna be   (I'll be where I wanna be)      Be, be'fore we came to this country   We were kings and queens, never porch monkeys   There was empires in Africa called Kush   Timbuktu, where every race came to get books   To learn from black teachers who taught Greeks and Romans   Asian, Arabs and gave them gold when   Gold was converted to money it all changed   Money then became empowerment for Europeans      The Persian military invaded   They heard about the gold, the teachings and everything sacred   Africa was almost robbed naked   Slavery was money, so they began making slave ships   Egypt was the place that Alexander the great went   He was so shocked at the mountains with black faces   Shot off they nose to impose what basically   Still goes on today, you see?      If the truth is told, the youth can grow   Then learn to survive until they gain control   Nobody says you have to be gangstas, hoes   Read more, learn more, change the globe   Ghetto children, do your thing   Hold your head up, little man, you're a king   Young princess, when you get your wedding ring   Your man is saying "She's my queen"      I know I can   (I know I can)   Be what I wanna be   (Be what I wanna be)   If I work hard at it   (If I work hard at it)   I'll be where I wanna be   (I'll be where I wanna be)      I know I can   (I know I can)   Be what I wanna be   (Be what I wanna be)   If I work hard at it   (If I work hard at it)   I'll be where I wanna be   (I'll be where I wanna be)      Save the music y'all, save the music y'all   Save the music y'all, save the music y'all   Save the music