Topenga Ataata
Kupu Tūpato
(Birds don’t, birds don’t, birds don’t, birds don’t)
– (E kore e manu, e kore e manu, e kore e manu, e kore e manu)
Lost in emotion, mama’s youngest
– Kua ngaro i te whakaaro, ko te mea iti rawa a mama
Tryna navigate life without my compass
– Ka whakatere a Tryna i te ora me te kore o taku porohita
Some experience death and feel numbness
– Ko ētahi e mate ana e ngoikore ana
But not me, I felt it all and couldn’t function
– Engari ehara i ahau, it ahau i te katoa, ā, kāore I taea te mahi
Seein’ you that day
– Ka kite koe i taua rā
Tellin’ you my plans but I was leavin’ you that day
– Korero atu ki a koe aku mahere engari i mahue ahau i a koe i taua ra
It was in God’s hands, Ye was at Elon’s waiting to get with me
– I Roto I nga ringaringa O Te Atua, Kei Te tatari Koe Ki A Elon kia haere tahi me Au
On my way to Texas, that’s when Virginia hit me
– I taku haerenga ki Texas, i reira A Virginia i patu ai i ahau
And I realized in that instant
– A i mōhio au i taua wā tonu
Our last conversation, you was against it
– Ko tā mātou kōrerorero whakamutunga, i whakahe koe ki a ia
Told you I was going to Turks for Thanksgiving
– Ka mea atu ahau ki a koutou e haere ana ahau Ki Nga Turiki mo te Whakawhetai
I heard what I wanted to hear but didn’t listen
– I rongo ahau i te mea i hiahia ahau ki te whakarongo engari kihai i whakarongo
You said you told Gene that Bup needed forgiveness
– Ka mea koe i korerotia e koe Ki A Gene e Hiahia ana A Bup ki te murunga hara
I see you went to DD’s and stuffed both her fridges
– Ka kite ahau i a KOE e haere ana ki TE WHARE O DD ka whakakiia ōna pouaka whakamātao e rua
You even told Dad you wished y’all never splitted
– I mea atu anō koe Ki A Pāpā, e hiahia ana koe kia kaua rawa koe e wehe
See, you were checkin’ boxes, I was checkin’ my mentions
– Tirohia, kei te tirotiro koe i ngā pouaka, kei te tirotiro au i aku kōrero
Sayin’ you was tired but not ready to go
– Ka mea, kua ngenge koe, engari kaore i rite ki te haere
Basically was dying without letting me know
– I te nuinga o te wā e mate ana me te kore e whakamōhio mai ki ahau
I loved you met Nige, hate that he won’t remember you
– I aroha ahau ki a Koe i tutaki Ki A Nige, i kino ki te kore ia e mahara ki a koe
Two things that break my heart is what Novembers do
– E rua nga mea e pakaru ana i toku ngakau ko te mea e mahia ana e noema
And T follows you, now mind you
– A ka whai a T i a koe, na, kia mahara koe
DD calls you, Gene finds you, was that your vision?
– Ka karanga a DD ki a koe, Ka kitea koe E Gene, ko tōu tirohanga?
Precision, while I’m reminiscin’
– Ko te tika, i te mea e mahara ana ahau
It all hits different, Ma, listen
– He rerekē ngā mea katoa, Ma, whakarongo
The birds don’t sing (Yeah)
– Kāore ngā manu e waiata (Yeah)
The birds don’t sing, they screech in pain, pain
– Kāore ngā manu e waiata, e hamama ana i te mamae, i te mamae
The birds don’t sing (Oh)
– Kāore ngā manu e waiata (Oh)
The birds don’t sing, they screech in pain (Oh, they screech in pain)
– Kaore nga manu e waiata, ka hamama ratou i te mamae (Aue, ka hamama ratou i te mamae)
The birds don’t sing
– Kāore ngā manu e waiata
The birds don’t sing, they screech in pain
– Kāore ngā manu e waiata, e hamama ana i te mamae
Your car was in the driveway, I knew you were home
– I te huarahi tō motokā, i mōhio au kei te kāinga koe
By the third knock, a chill ran through my bones
– I te toru o nga patunga, ka rere te makariri i roto i oku wheua
The way you missed Mama, I guess I should’ve known
– Ko te āhua o tō mihi ki A Mama, ki taku whakaaro me mōhio au
Chivalry ain’t dead, you ain’t let her go alone
– Kāore te rangatira i mate, kāore koe i tuku i a ia kia haere takitahi
Found you in the kitchen, scriptures in the den
– Kitea koe i roto i te kīhini, karaipiture i roto i te ana
Half-written texts that you never got to send
– Tuhinga haurua-i tuhituhia e kore koe i ki te tukua atu
Combin’ through your dresser drawer, where do I begin?
– Te whakakotahi i roto i to pouaka pouaka, kei hea ahau ka timata?
Postin’ noted Bible quotes, were you preparin’ then?
– Postin ‘noted bible quotes, i whakarite koe’ na?
I can hear your voice now, I can feel your presence
– Ka taea e au te whakarongo ki tō reo ināianei, ka taea e au te fe i tō aroaro
Askin’ “Should I rap again?”, you gave me your blessing
– Ka ui atu ” Me rap anō ahau? “, i homai e koe tou manaakitanga ki ahau
The way you spelled it out, there’s an L in every lesson
– Ko te Ara i tuhituhia e koe i te Reira i roto i, i reira te He L I roto i nga haapiiraa
“Boy, you owe it to the world, let your mess become your message”
– “E tama, e nama ana koe ki te ao, kia waiho tō raruraru hei karere māu”
Shared you with my friends, the Pops they never had
– I whakapuaki i a koe ki aku hoa, ki nga Pops kaore i a ratou
You lived for our fishin’ trips, damn, I had a dad
– I ora koe mō ā mātou haerenga hī ika, e te rewera, he papa tōku
Mine taught discipline, mine taught structure
– Akoako akoako, akoako akoako
Mine didn’t mind when he had to pull a double
– Kaore au i te whakaaro i te wa i tangohia ai e ia he taarua
Mine worked overtime, smiled through the struggle
– I mahi au i te wā roa, i ataata i roto i te pakanga
‘Cause mine wouldn’t let us feel what he had to suffer
– ‘No te mea e kore e tukua e toku fe tatou i te mea i ia ki te mamae
See, mine made sure he had every base covered
– Tirohia, i whakarite taku kia hipokina e ia nga turanga katoa
So imagine his pain findin’ base in the cupboard
– Na whakaaro tona mamae kitea turanga i roto i te rūma
Birds don’t sing if the words don’t sting
– Kāore ngā manu e waiata mēnā kāore ngā kupu e wero
Your last few words in my ear still ring (Oh)
– Tou kupu torutoru whakamutunga i roto i toku taringa tonu mowhiti (Oh)
You told me that you loved me, it was all in your tone (Oh-oh)
– I korerotia mai e koe ki ahau e aroha ana koe ki ahau, ko te katoa i roto i to koutou reo (Oh-oh)
“I love my two sons” was the code to your phone, now you’re gone
– “E aroha ana ahau ki aku tama tokorua” ko te waehere ki tou waea, inaianei kua haere koe
Oh, and the birds don’t sing (No, they don’t)
– Aue, a e kore e waiata nga manu (Kahore, e kore e ratou)
The birds don’t sing, they screech in pain (Don’t the truth ruin it?), pain (Now it feels different, when they doin’ it)
– E kore e waiata nga manu, e hamama ana i te mamae (E kore e whakangaromia e te pono?), mamae (I teie neiels te reira rerekē, ka mahi ratou i te reira)
The birds don’t sing (No, they don’t, and they won’t)
– Kaore nga manu e waiata (Kaore, kaore, kaore)
The birds don’t sing, they screech in pain (They don’t sing, they just screech in pain), pain (It’s a cycle, they do that shit over and over again)
– Kāore ngā manu e waiata, ka hamama rātau i te mamae (Kāore Rātau e waiata, ka hamama rātau i te mamae), ka mamae (He huringa, ka mahi rātau i taua mea i ngā wā katoa)
(Oh) The birds don’t sing
– (Oh) kāore Ngā manu E waiata
The birds don’t sing, they screech in pain (Oh the birds, they screech in pain, oh-oh)
– Kaore nga manu e waiata, ka hamama ratou i te mamae (Oh the birds, they screech in pain, oh-oh)
The birds don’t sing
– Kāore ngā manu e waiata
The birds don’t sing, they screech in pain (Oh no, they’re comin’ back again, oh no)
– Kaore nga manu e waiata, ka hamama ratou i te mamae (Oh no, kei te hoki mai ano ratou, oh no)
Remember those who lost their mothers and fathers
– Kia mahara ki te hunga i ngaro o ratou whaea me o ratou matua
And make sure that every single moment that you have with them
– A kia tino e nga taime kotahi e whai koe ki a ratou
You show them love
– E whakaatu ana koe ki a rātou i te aroha
You show them love
– E whakaatu ana koe ki a rātou i te aroha
You’ll see
– Ka kite koe
