Listen up now everybody 

All you kids across the land 

Listen up now everybody 

Parents don't understand: 



You know parents are the same 

No matter time nor place 

They don't understand that us kids 

Are going to make some mistakes 

So to you, all the kids all across the land 

There's no need to argue 

Parents just don't understand 



I remember one year 

My mom took me school shopping 

It was me, my brother, my mom, oh, my pop, and my little sister 

All hopped in the car 

We headed downtown to the gallery mall 

My mom started bugging with the clothes she chose 

I didn't say nothing at first 

I just turned up my nose 



She said, "what's wrong? this shirt cost $20" 

We said, "mom, this shirt is plaid with a butterfly collar!" 

The next half hour was the same old thing 

My mother buying me clothes from 1983 

And then she lost her mind and did the ultimate 

I asked her for adidas and she bought me zips! 



I said, "mom, what are you doing, you're ruining my rep" 

She said, "you're only sixteen, you don't have a rep yet" 

I (we) said, "mom, let's put these clothes back, please" 

She said "no, you go to school to learn not for a fashion show" 



I said, "this isn't family matters , come on mom, i'm not erkle 

Mom, please put back the high water pants with lime circles 

But if you don't want to i can live with that but 

You gotta put back the double-knit reversible slacks" 



She wasn't moved - everything stayed the same 

Inevitably the first day of school came 

I thought i could get over, i tried to play sick 

But my mom said, "no, no way, uh-uh, forget it" 

There was nothing i could do, i tried to relax 

I got dressed up in those ancient artifacts 

And when i walked into school, it was just as i thought 

The kids were cracking up laughing at the clothes mom bought 

And those who weren't laughing still had a ball 

Because they were pointing and whispering 

As i walked down the hall 



I got home and told my mom how my day went 

She said, "if they were laughing you don't need them, 

"cause they're not good friends" 

For the next six hours i tried to explain to my mom 

That i was gonna have to go through this about 200 more times 

So to you all the kids all across the land 

There's no need to argue 

Parents just don't understand 



[mom] i don't care if you and your friend are a m ing each other 

[kid] it's iming 

[mom] get over here right now 

[kid] there's no explaining grown ups 

[dad] hey i'm with it, i like that justin timberland guy 

[kid] it's timerlake 

[dad] hey you wanna see me do the moon walk again 

[mom] i loved when your father did the moon walk 

[kid] what? shhhhh! 

[dad] what's the shizzle my uh grizzle 

[kid] if you loved me you'd stop 

[dad] grizzly bear 

[kid] they just don't understand 

[dad] mom and dad in effect 

We're like your total homies your posse