Can I Live, redux

A memoir of Sicily, death and driving

Published by Image Books

June 11, 2005

Just a reminder, if you missed it yesterday, to go watch Nick Cannon's powerful video Can I Live . Also, go to the message board on his site and read what fans are saying about it - the pain out there among aborted women is heartbreaking.

Another link to the video - perhaps easier to see here.

Posted by Amy Welborn Dubruiel at 10:35 AM | Permalink

Comments

This is beautiful! I just cried my eyes out. I would reccommend sending this to every teenager you know. It is so powerful I hope it becomes a HUGE hit.

Posted by: jane | June 11, 2005 at 12:52 PM

Beautiful.

Nicole

Posted by: Nicole | June 11, 2005 at 02:54 PM

Great stuff. The lyrics are a bit hard to make out in some spots, and the transcription posted around the Net is obviously wrong in a lot of places. Anyone know where to get the correct lyrics?

Posted by: Dave P. | June 11, 2005 at 02:59 PM

Can I Live"
(feat. Anthony Hamilton)

[Nick Talking]
Talking Ma
I know the Situation is Personal
but it something that has to be told
as i was making this beat
you was all i could think about you heard my voice

[Verse 1]
Yeah Just think Just Think
what if you could Just
Just blink your self away..
Just Just wait just pause for a second
Let me plead my case
Its the late 70's Huh
You Seventeen huh
and having me that will rein everything huh
its alot of angel waiting for there wings
you see me in your sleep so you cant kill your dreams
300 Dollars thats the price of living what?
Mommy i dont like this clinic
hopefully you'll make the right decision
and dont go though with the Knife Decision
but it hard to make the right move
when you in high school
how you have to work all day and take night school
hopping off da bus when the rain is pouring
What you want morning sickness or the Sickness of morning

[Chorus]
I Will Always Be apart of you
Trust Your Soul Know His Heart Is True
If I Could Talk I Would Say To You
CAN I LIVE
CAN I LIVE
I Will Always Be apart of you
Trust Your Soul Know His Heart Is True
If I Could Talk I Would Say To You
CAN I LIVE
CAN I LIVE

[Verse 2]
I' am a child of the king
aint no need to go fear me
and i see the flowing tears so know that you hear me
when i move in your worn that's me being scaring
cause who knows where my future holds
yo the truth be told you aint told a soul
yo you aint even showing i just 2 moths old
thorough your clothes try to hide me deny
me went up 3 sizes
your pride got you lying saying aint nothing but a migraine
it aint surprising you not trying to be in wick food lines
your friends look at you funny but look at you mommy
thatz a life inside you look at your tummy
what is becoming ma i am Oprah bound
you can tell he's a star from the Ultrasound
Our Sprits Connected Doors Open Now
Nothing But Love And Respect Thanks For Holding Me Down She Let Me Live...

[Nick Talking]

Its uplifting foreal yall
i aint passing no judgement
aint making no decisions
I am just telling ya'll my story
my love life
i love my mother for giving me life
we all need to appreciate life
a strong women that had to make a sacrifice
Thanks for listening
Thanks for listening
Mama thanks for listening

Posted by: jane | June 11, 2005 at 04:02 PM

aint no need to go fear me
and i see the flowing tears so know that you hear me
when i move in your worn that's me being scaring
cause who knows where my future holds
yo the truth be told you aint told a soul
yo you aint even showing i just 2 moths old
thorough your clothes try to hide me deny
me went up 3 sizes
your pride got you lying saying aint nothing but a migraine
it aint surprising you not trying to be in wick food lines
your friends look at you funny but look at you mommy
thatz a life inside you look at your tummy
what is becoming ma i am Oprah bound
you can tell he's a star from the Ultrasound
Our Sprits Connected Doors Open Now
Nothing But Love And Respect Thanks For Holding Me Down She Let Me Live...

[Nick Talking]

Posted by: jane | June 11, 2005 at 04:04 PM

"Can I Live" is very moving. It illustrates something that I have been coming to realize lately: that a key difference between pro-lifers and pro-choicers is that pro-lifers are able to see things from the point of view of the unborn child (which is not to say to the exclusion of the point of view of the mother) and pro-choicers are not. The stories of abortion survivors are always moving because they give after the fact expression to the unborn's point of view. This music video captures the emotion of those stories.

Also, to see the pro-life truth expressed in the medium of a rap music video highlights the universality of that truth.

I hope this music video becomes a huge hit.

Posted by: Daniel Mansueto | June 11, 2005 at 04:45 PM

Anyone that hasn't seen it yet better do themselves a favor and see it! The video has a personal connection to my own story. Let's just say that I empathize with Mr. Cannon.

BTW did anyone else have trouble seeing it via the link that Amy has? I did, so I googled the video and found a working link to the video here.

Posted by: A Holy Fool | June 11, 2005 at 04:47 PM

Powerful video. Real. and powerful.
FYI, in the lyrics, "wick" (food lines) isn't "wicked" but rather WIC, as in Women, Infants & Children, on the web at http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/

Posted by: j-g | June 11, 2005 at 11:05 PM

Just showed it to my husband. Our eyes were welled up with tears. So touching, poignant and heart felt. I'm very moved by the chorus of singing children "Can I live, can I live?" I've sent it to many people from church. I'm hoping to show others that we need not fear "pro-life" issues. Here's a young, black man making a very public statement without fear of retribution. He could have played it safe and avoided the whole subject (think about his usual listeners and what their life experiences might be). But he didn't. He told his story and shared his opinion. He validates the the choices made my woman who keep their babies and make a sacrifice when the world is screaming "don't do it!!" We should be able to do the same in our churches.

Posted by: Nerina | June 12, 2005 at 07:27 PM

Great video! I thought I recognized the name - he used to have a show on Nickelodeon that my kids watched. I'm going to show the video to them.

Another "hip" song to check out about abortion is Fr. Stan Fortuna's rap, "Unborn Victims of Violence". I heard it on this year's Franciscan University summer youth conference CD. It's classic Fortuna - he pulls no punches.

Posted by: midwestmom | June 14, 2005 at 01:24 AM

Verify your Comment

Previewing your Comment

Posted by: |

This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.

Your comment could not be posted. Error type:

Your comment has been saved. Comments are moderated and will not appear until approved by the author. Post another comment

The letters and numbers you entered did not match the image. Please try again.

As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments.

Having trouble reading this image? View an alternate.