Didn’t take nothin’ that I didn’t need
‘Cause they didn’t offer classes in what I wanted to 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 [bad word] to prove it
Hard knocks!

...without feelin’ the burn
And I ain’t got nothin’ that I did not earn
Chasin’ that ooooh still hittin’ the books
Studying Donnie and Stevie
Learn to sail the hooks

Talk about those hard knocks
Got the bumps and the [bad word] to prove it
Hard knocks
……………..
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
Even closer to your enemies

oh yeah yeah yeah

Graduated from hard knocks
I got my education
And hard knocks
Gettin’ in and out of situations
Hard knocks
Got the bumps and the [bad word] to prove it
Hard knocks!