Topenga Ataata
Kupu Tūpato
Mom, I know I let you down
– E te whaea, e mohio ana ahau kua tukua koe e ahau ki raro
And though you say the days are happy
– A ahakoa e mea ana koe he harikoa nga ra
Why is the power off and I’m fucked up?
– He aha te take i kore ai te mana, ā, ka pōhēhē ahau?
And, Mom, I know he’s not around
– A, E Māmā, e mōhio ana ahau kāore ia i te taha
But don’t you place the blame on me
– Otiia e kore e hoatu e koe te he ki runga ki ahau
As you pour yourself another drink, yeah
– I a koe e ringihia ana e koe tetahi atu inu, ae
I guess we are who we are
– Ki taku whakaaro ko wai tātou
Headlights shining in the dark night, I drive on
– Ko nga rama o mua e whiti ana i te po pouri, ka haere tonu ahau
Maybe we took this too far
– Tērā pea i tawhiti rawa atu mātou i tēnei
I went in headfirst, never thinkin’ about who what I said hurt
– I haere ahau ki te upoko, kaua rawa e whakaaro ko wai taku i mea ai he mamae
In what verse, my mom probably got it the worst
– I roto i te irava, ko taku whaea pea te mea kino rawa
The brunt of it, but as stubborn as we are, did I take it too far?
– Ko te taumaha o te reira, engari rite pakeke rite tatou, i tangohia e ahau i te reira rawa tawhiti?
“Cleanin’ Out My Closet” and all them other songs
– “Cleanin’ Out My Closet ” me ētahi atu waiata katoa
But regardless, I don’t hate you ‘cause, Ma
– Otiia ahakoa, e kore ahau e kino ki a koutou ‘ take, Ma
You’re still beautiful to me, ‘cause you’re my mom
– He ataahua tonu koe ki ahau, nā te mea ko koe tōku māmā
Though far be it from you to be calm
– Ahakoa he tawhiti atu i a koe kia marino
Our house was Vietnam, Desert Storm
– Ko Vietnam tō mātou whare, Ko Desert Storm
And both of us put together could form an atomic bomb
– A ka taea e tātou e rua te whakakotahi te hanga i tētahi poma ngota
Equivalent to chemical warfare
– He rite ki te pakanga matū
And forever we could drag this on and on
– A ake ake ka taea e tatou te toia tenei i runga i a i runga i
But agree to disagree, that gift for me
– Engari whakaae ki te whakahē, ko taua mea homai ki ahau
Up under the Christmas tree don’t mean shit to me
– I raro i te rakau Kirihimete kaua e kino ki ahau
You’re kickin’ me out? It’s fifteen degrees
– Kei te peke koe i ahau? E tekau mā rima ngā nekehanga
And it’s Christmas Eve, “Little prick, just leave!”
– A ko Te Pō O Te Kirihimete, ” Little prick, just leave!”
Ma, let me grab my fucking coat!
– Ma, kia mau ahau ki taku koti!
Anything to have each other’s goats
– Ko nga mea katoa kia whai koati tetahi ki tetahi
Why we always at each other’s throats?
– He aha tatou i nga wa katoa i te korokoro o tetahi ki tetahi?
Especially when Dad, he fucked us both
– Rawa, no Te Papa, fucked ia tatou e rua
We’re in the same fuckin’ boat
– Kei roto mātou i te poti kotahi
You’d think that’d make us close (Nope)
– Ka whakaaro koe ka kati tatou (Nope)
Further away it drove us, but together, headlights shine
– I tawhiti atu i a mātau, engari i te taha, ka whiti ngā rama matua
And a car full of belongings, still got a ways to go
– A, he waka ki tonu i ngā taonga, he huarahi tonu hei haere
Back to grandma’s house, it’s straight up the road
– Hoki ki te whare o te kuia, kei runga tonu i te huarahi
And I was the man of the house, the oldest
– Na ko ahau te tangata o te whare, te matamua
So my shoulders carried the weight of the load
– Na ko aku pokohiwi i mau i te taumaha o te kawenga
Then Nate got taken away by the state at eight-years-old
– Katahi Ka mauria Atu a Nate e te kāwanatanga i te waru o ona tau
And that’s when I realized you were sick
– A ko te wā I mōhio ai au he mate koe
And it wasn’t fixable or changeable
– A kihai i reira fixable ranei changeable
And to this day we remain estranged, and I hate it though, but—
– A tae noa mai ki tenei ra ka noho ke atu tatou, a ka kino ahau ki a ia, engari—
I guess we are who we are
– Ki taku whakaaro ko wai tātou
Headlights shining in the dark night, I drive on
– Ko nga rama o mua e whiti ana i te po pouri, ka haere tonu ahau
Maybe we took this too far
– Tērā pea i tawhiti rawa atu mātou i tēnei
‘Cause to this day we remain estranged and I hate it though
– ‘Na te mea tae noa ki tenei ra ka noho ke tonu tatou, a ka kino ahau ki a ia ahakoa
‘Cause you ain’t even get to witness your grandbabies grow
– ‘No te mea kaore koe e kite i te tipu o au mokopuna
But I’m sorry, Mama, for “Cleanin’ Out My Closet”
– Ko ahau pouri, Mama, hoki “Cleanin’ I Roto I Toku Rūma”
At the time I was angry, rightfully? Maybe so
– I te wa i riri ai ahau, tika? Tērā pea
Never meant that far to take it, though
– E kore i te tikanga e tawhiti ki te tango i te reira, ahakoa
‘Cause now I know it’s not your fault, and I’m not makin’ jokes
– ‘No te mea inaianei e mohio ana ahau e kore te reira i to koutou he, a e kore ahau e hanga i te tawai’
That song I no longer play at shows
– Ko taua waiata kāore au e whakatangihia i ngā whakaaturanga
And I cringe every time it’s on the radio
– A ka whakapouri ahau i nga wa katoa i runga i te reo irirangi
And I think of Nathan being placed in a home
– A ki taku whakaaro kei te noho a Nathan ki tētahi kāinga
And all the medicine you fed us and
– A ko te rongoā katoa i whangaia e koe ki a matou me
How I just wanted you to taste your own
– Me pēhea taku hiahia kia whakamātau koe i a koe anō
But now the medication’s takin’ over
– Engari inaianei kua riro te rongoā
And your mental state’s deterioratin’ slow
– Me te ngoikore o tō āhua hinengaro
And I’m way too old to cry, this shit is painful, though
– A he pakeke rawa ahau ki te tangi, he mamae tenei mea, ahakoa
But, Ma, I forgive you, so does Nathan, yo
– Engari, Ma, ka murua e ahau ki a koe, pera ano Hoki A Nathan, yo
All you did, all you said, you did your best to raise us both
– Ko nga mea katoa i mahia e koe, ko nga mea katoa i korerotia e koe, i mahia e koe to pai ki te whakaara i a maatau e rua
Foster care, that cross you bear, few may be as heavy as yours
– Tiaki Foster, e whiti mau koe, torutoru kia rite taimaha rite koutou
But I love you, Debbie Mathers
– Engari e aroha ana ahau ki a koe, E Debbie Mathers
Oh, what a tangled web we have ‘cause
– Aue, he aha te tukutuku kōpeke kei a mātou ‘ take
One thing I never asked was
– Ko tētahi mea kāore au i ui ko
Where the fuck my deadbeat dad was
– Ko te wāhi i noho ai te papa o fuck my deadbeat
Fuck it, I guess he had trouble keepin’ up with every address
– Fuck reira, whakaaro ahau i ia raruraru pupuri ake ki nga wāhitau
But I’da flipped every mattress, every rock and desert cactus
– Engari i hurihia e au ia moenga, ia toka me ia kākahu koraha
Owned a collection of maps
– He kohinga mahere
And followed my kids to the edge of the atlas
– A ka whai i aku tamariki ki te pito o te atlas
If someone ever moved ’em from me
– Ki te neke atu tētahi i ahau
That you coulda bet your asses
– Ka taea e koe te peti i ō kaihe
If I had to come down the chimney, dressed as Santa, kidnap ’em
– Ki te haere mai ahau ki raro i te kōkō, he Mea whakakakahu Ki A Santa, ka hopu i a rātou
And although one has only met their grandma once
– Ahakoa kotahi anake te wā i tūtaki ai tētahi ki tō rātau kuia
You pulled up in our drive one night
– I whakatārewatia koe i roto i tō mātou waka i tētahi pō
As we were leavin’ to get some hamburgers
– I a mātou e haere ana ki te tiki i ētahi hamburger
Me, her and Nate, we introduced you, hugged you
– Ko au, ko ia, ko Nate, i whakamōhio atu mātou ki a koe, i awhi i a koe
And as you left, I had this overwhelming sadness
– A, i a koe e haere ana, he nui taku pouri
Come over me as we pulled off to go our separate paths and
– Haere mai ki runga ki ahau i to matou wehenga atu ki te haere i to tatou ara motuhake, me te
I saw your headlights as I looked back
– I kite ahau i ō rama i taku titiro whakamuri
And I’m mad I didn’t get the chance to
– A, e riri ana ahau, kāore au i whai wāhi ki te
Thank you for being my mom and my dad
– Mauruuru mo te mea ko taku whaea me taku papa
So, Mom, please accept this as a
– Na, Mama, tēnā whakaae tenei rite te
Tribute; I wrote this on the jet, I guess I had to
– He mihi; i tuhituhi ahau i tēnei i runga i te jet, ki taku whakaaro me
Get this off my chest, I hope I get the chance to
– Tangohia tenei i toku uma, te ti’aturi nei e ahau te whai wāhi ki te
Lay it ‘fore I’m dead, the stewardess said to fasten
– Takoto i te reira ‘ i mua i ahau mate, ka mea te kaikawe ki te whakapiri
My seatbelt, I guess we’re crashin’
– Ko taku whitiki haumaru, ki taku whakaaro kei te hinga mātou
So, if I’m not dreamin’, I hope you get this message that
– Na, ki te kore ahau e moemoea, e tumanako ana ahau kia whiwhi koe i tēnei karere e
I will always love you from afar, ‘cause you’re my mom
– Ka aroha tonu ahau ki a koe mai i tawhiti, nā te mea ko koe tōku māmā
I guess we are who we are
– Ki taku whakaaro ko wai tātou
Headlights shining in the dark night, I drive on
– Ko nga rama o mua e whiti ana i te po pouri, ka haere tonu ahau
Maybe we took this too far
– Tērā pea i tawhiti rawa atu mātou i tēnei
I want a new life (Start over)
– E hiahia ana ahau ki te ora hou (Start over)
One without a cause (Clean slate)
– Kotahi te kore he take (clean slate)
So I’m coming home tonight (Yeah)
– Kei te hoki au ki te kāinga i tēnei pō (yeah)
Well, no matter what the cost
– Well, noa’tu te aha te utu
And if the plane goes down
– A ki te heke iho te waka rererangi
Or if the crew can’t wake me up
– Ranei ki te kore e taea e te kapa te whakaara i ahau
Well, just know that I’m alright
– Well, tika mohio e ahau pai
I was not afraid to die
– Kāore au i mataku ki te mate
Oh, even if there’s songs to sing
– Aue, ahakoa he waiata hei waiata
Well, my children will carry me
– Well, ka mau aku tamariki ki ahau
Just know that I’m alright
– Kia mohio kei te pai ahau
I was not afraid to die
– Kāore au i mataku ki te mate
Because I put my faith in my little girls
– No te mea i whakapono ahau ki aku kotiro iti
So I’ll never say goodbye cruel world
– Na e kore ahau e mea goodbye ao nanakia
Just know that I’m alright
– Kia mohio kei te pai ahau
I am not afraid to die
– E kore ahau e wehi ki te mate
I guess we are who we are
– Ki taku whakaaro ko wai tātou
Headlights shining in the dark night, I drive on
– Ko nga rama o mua e whiti ana i te po pouri, ka haere tonu ahau
Maybe we took this too far
– Tērā pea i tawhiti rawa atu mātou i tēnei
I want a new life
– E hiahia ana ahau ki te ora hou
[Produced by Emile Haynie & Jeff Bhasker]
– [Na Emile Haynie rāua ko Jeff Bhasker i whakaputa]
