Ghetto
➨ Akon Lyrics

Ghetto, ghetto
Living in poverty-stricken areas with inadequate resources in terms of opportunities, funds, and infrastructure.

Ghetto, ghetto livin'
Life in the ghetto, where basic amenities such as shelter, food, water, and clothing are either scarce or not affordable.

These streets remind me of quicksand (quicksand)
Streets in the ghetto pose a trap, similar to quicksand, whereby once you find yourself treading the path, moving forward becomes difficult.

When you're on it, you'll keep goin' down (goin' down)
Once one finds themselves in life on the ghetto streets, it becomes challenging to move up the social ladder, leading to unending struggles.

And there's no one to hold on to And there's no one to pull you out
The ghetto community Negativity is self-sustaining and derogatory. There are few or none in a position to offer support or a way out of its vicious cycle.

You keep on fallin' (fallin') No one can hear you callin'
Life in the ghetto traps one to unrelenting hurdles with no time to seek friendly help. It seems like a bottomless pit with no room for change.

So you end up self-destructin' On the corner with the tuli on the waistline Just got up out the bing doin' state time Teeth marks on my back from the K-9 Dark memories of when there was no sunshine ‘Cause they said that I wouldn't make it I remember like yesterday Holdin' on to what God gave me
The hardships implicit in ghetto life such as serving jail time, picking yourself up using negative means, and holding on to your values and integrity when it seems like the world is against you all add up causing one to self-destruct.

No need to cherish luxuries ‘Cause everything come and go
Luxuries such as fast cars, exquisite clothing, and expensive vacays do not hold much value in the ghetto life, as they are fleeting and do little to bring one out of poverty.

Even the life that you have is borrowed ‘Cause you're not promised tomorrow
Life is fragile and temporary, and one in the ghetto knows not to take life for granted or squander opportunities to improve their life condition.

So live your life as if every day is gon' be your last (be your last) Once you've moved forward, can't go back just pretend to remove your past (remove your past) ‘Cause you gotta be willin' to pray Yes, there gotta be, there gotta be a better way, oh Yes, you gotta be willin' to pray ‘Cause there gotta be, there gotta be a better day, ay Whoever said that this struggle would stop today?
Life in the ghetto is unpredictable and can end with a snap of the finger. However, it would help if you posed some faith that things will turn out better than the present state. Prayer is one of the ways one can hold on to a better day and a better way of overcoming their struggles.

A lot a niggas dead or locked away Teenage women growin' up with AIDS
Not all escape the challenges of ghetto life. Many of them are too young to face such obstacles themselves and require the support of the entire community to help them adequately deal with the challenges while others could not avoid falling victim to the negative elements prevalent in the ghetto.

Gun shots every night in the (ghetto) Crooked cops on sight in the (ghetto) Everyday is a fight in the (ghetto) Oh oh oh oh oh (ghetto livin') Got kids to feed in the (ghetto) Sellin' coke and weed in the (ghetto) Everyday somebody bleed in the (ghetto) Oh oh oh oh oh (ghetto livin')
Ghetto life is like living in a war zone or a battlefield where every day brings new drama and new strife. One must use whatever means they have to survive.

That's the life when you're livin' in the (ghetto) Oh, livin' by the (ghetto) Oh eatin' in the (ghetto) Ghetto That's the life when you're livin' in the (ghetto) Oh, sleepin' in the (ghetto) Livin' in the (ghetto) Ghetto, ghetto (ghetto livin')
The ghetto life is all-encompassing and consumes every aspect of an individual's life, impacting their daily existence and livelihood by creating struggles and harsher living conditions.