The controversial video has been labeled harsh and the song itself has a deep meaning.
The Chris Robinson-directed clip tells the story of an abused mother, who unintentionally leads her daughter to relive her own vicious cycle.
“I have a daughter, Wayne has a daughter, and he really wanted to tell the story,” Robinson told MTV News. “We were talking about statistics of abuse in our community. We were talking about really telling this story for every young woman in the world.”
The video follows a mother who is beaten by her boyfriend all in front of the little eyes of her baby daughter. As the girl grows up, she visits her father in prison and as a young lady is molested by one of her mother’s lovers.
From there, the girl grows a little older to become a stripper and eventually a prostitute who contracts HIV.
The video has some very touching moments and some that make you cringe.
The director, even said the song hit home for him.
“For me, I think Wayne’s performance, we really showed him when he said these poignant lines, things that really connected,” the director explained. “The concept is more a narrative. It’s a story about two paths in someone’s life and how one small choice that you make can affect your whole life.”