You know that feeling when a song comes on and you realize you’ve been singing the wrong words for twenty years? Or worse, you realize you completely missed the point of what the artist was trying to say? That happens a lot with just the two of us lyrics will smith fans often cite as their favorite "dad song."
Most people hear that smooth, sampled Bill Withers hook and think it’s just a breezy 1997 summer jam. It was. But it was also a pretty radical departure for Big Willie at the time. He wasn't rapping about "Getting Jiggy Wit It" or chasing aliens in a black suit. He was talking to his first-born son, Trey. It’s a love letter, basically. A manual for fatherhood wrapped in a radio-friendly beat produced by Trackmasters.
The Grover Washington Jr. Connection
Before we get into the weeds of Will’s verses, we have to talk about the backbone. The song is built entirely on the 1981 classic by Grover Washington Jr. and Bill Withers. While the original was a romantic soul ballad about a couple making it if they try, Will Smith flipped the script. He kept the melody but changed the "us" from a man and a woman to a father and a son.
It’s kind of genius when you think about it. He took a melody everyone already loved and gave it a new emotional context.
The Breakdown: What Just The Two Of Us Lyrics Will Smith Actually Say
The song starts with a heavy dose of reality. Will talks about the moment he found out he was going to be a father. He mentions being twenty-four years old. He talks about the fear. That’s the thing—most rappers in the late 90s were focused on bravado. Will was focused on vulnerability. He admits he was terrified. He mentions the hospital, the "little man" being born, and that immediate, life-altering shift in perspective.
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He raps about the physical sensation of seeing his son for the first time. It’s not poetic in a flowery way; it’s poetic in a "this is real life" way. He promises to protect him. He talks about the "world out there" being harsh.
Lessons in the Second Verse
The second verse is where the advice starts. If you look closely at the just the two of us lyrics will smith wrote, you see a man trying to give his kid a head start. He tells Trey to "be the best you can be." Generic? Maybe. But then he gets specific. He talks about the importance of being a man of your word. He mentions that "it’s a thin line between love and hate."
There’s a specific line about how people will try to use you. He’s teaching his kid about the industry without even mentioning the industry. He’s teaching him about life. He says, "don't ever let 'em tell you what you can't do." It sounds like a precursor to his role in The Pursuit of Happyness, honestly.
The Trey Factor vs. The Jaden Era
A lot of younger fans get confused. They see Will with Jaden and Willow and assume this song was for them. Nope. This was 1997. Jaden wasn't even born yet (he arrived in '98). This song was strictly for Willard Carroll "Trey" Smith III.
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Trey even appeared in the music video. You remember it—the one with all the famous dads and their kids? It featured Magic Johnson, Babyface, and Muhammad Ali. It was a cultural moment for Black fatherhood. At a time when the media often pushed a narrative of the "absent father," Will Smith stood up and said, "I'm obsessed with my kid."
The Lyrics and the Divorce
There is a layer of sadness in these lyrics that people often skip over. Will was going through a divorce from Trey’s mother, Sheree Zampino, around the time the album Big Willie Style was ruling the charts.
When he says, "Even if the sun don't shine / And the rain begins to fall / I'll be there for you through it all," he’s acknowledging that the family structure was changing. He was promising Trey that even though the "traditional" home was breaking, the bond wasn't. It’s a heavy concept for a pop-rap song.
Why the Song Still Matters in 2026
We live in an era of "aesthetic" parenting and Instagram-perfect families. Will Smith’s lyrics feel different because they feel earned. They aren't just captions; they are a manifesto.
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The song peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, but its longevity isn't about chart positions. It's played at every high school graduation, every father-son dance, and every backyard BBQ. Why? Because the sentiment is universal. Everyone wants to believe that their parents have their back like that.
Technical Brilliance in the Simplicity
The flow is classic 90s Will Smith. It’s "clean." No profanity. No aggressive posturing. Just storytelling. Some critics at the time called it "corny" or "soft." But looking back, that "softness" was actually a form of strength. It takes a lot more guts to rap about crying in a hospital room than it does to rap about selling drugs you never actually sold.
Fact-Checking the Common Misconceptions
- Myth: Will Smith wrote the melody.
- Fact: No, the melody and chorus belong to Ralph MacDonald and William Salter.
- Myth: Jaden Smith is the baby in the video.
- Fact: That is definitely Trey.
- Myth: It was a cover.
- Fact: It’s technically a "reimagining" or a sample-heavy derivative work.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans and Creators
If you're looking at these lyrics today, there's more to do than just sing along. Here is how to actually engage with the legacy of this track:
- Analyze the Sample: Listen to the original Grover Washington Jr. version first. Notice how Will stripped the romantic tension and replaced it with paternal protection. It’s a masterclass in how to flip a sample.
- Watch the Music Video: Pay attention to the cameos. It’s a "who’s who" of 90s icons. It provides visual context that makes the lyrics hit much harder.
- Study the Verse Structure: If you’re a songwriter, look at how Will moves from the past (finding out he’s a dad) to the present (the birth) to the future (life advice). It’s a perfect chronological narrative.
- Check the Credits: Look into the production by Poke and Tone (Trackmasters). They were the architects of that late 90s "shiny suit" sound that made hip-hop a global pop powerhouse.
The just the two of us lyrics will smith delivered weren't just about a celebrity and his son. They were about the transition from being a "kid" yourself to realizing that someone else’s entire life depends on you. It’s about the weight of a name and the legacy of a father. Whether you love Will Smith or find him polarizing today, you can't deny that he caught lightning in a bottle with this one. It remains one of the most honest depictions of fatherhood ever to hit the Top 40.