Living For The City
Austin Godsey Dan Barbiero & Stevie Wonder Lyrics
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Surrounded by four walls that ain't so pretty
His parents give him love and affection
To keep him strong moving in the right direction
Living just enough, just enough for the city
His father works some days for fourteen hours
And you can bet he barely makes a dollar
And you'd best believe she hardly gets a penny
Living just enough, just enough for the city yeah
His sister's black but she is sho 'nuff pretty
Her skirt is short but Lord her legs are sturdy
To walk to school she's got to get up early
Her clothes are old but never are they dirty
Living just enough, just enough for the city
Her brother's smart he's got more sense than many
His patience's long but soon he won't have any
To find a job is like a haystack needle
'Cause where he lives they don't use colored people
Living just enough, just enough for the city
Living just enough for the city
His hair is long, his feet are hard and gritty
He spends his life walking the streets of New York City
He's almost dead from breathing in air pollution
He tried to vote but to him there's no solution
Living just enough, just enough for the city yeah, yeah, yeah!
I hope you hear inside my voice of sorrow
And that it motivates you to make a better tomorrow
This place is cruel no where could be much colder
If we don't change the world will soon be over
Living just enough, just enough for the city!
"Living for the City" by Dan Barbiero, Austin Godsey, and Stevie Wonder tells the story of a boy born in Mississippi in hard times. The song describes the struggles that he and his family had to endure just to survive. His parents worked hard to provide him with love and affection to keep him strong, and his sister is described as being 'sho' nuff pretty,' but they are still living just enough, just enough for the city.
The boy's father works long hours for very little pay, and his mother also has to work hard just to make ends meet. Despite the hardships they faced, the boy's brother is smart with more sense than many, and his patience is long. However, he soon realizes that finding a job for colored people in his neighborhood is like finding a needle in a haystack.
The song highlights the difficulties of living in the city, describing pollution and the lack of opportunities for people of color. The lyrics express a sense of sorrow and frustration but also a desire for change. The chorus of the song emphasizes the idea that everyone is just living enough, just enough for the city.
Line by Line Meaning
A boy is born in hard time Mississippi
The story begins with a boy who was born in Mississippi, where times were tough and life was a struggle.
Surrounded by four walls that ain't so pretty
The boy grows up in a place with little beauty, with walls surrounding him that are not pleasing to the eye.
His parents give him love and affection
Despite their circumstances, the boy's parents give him love and care.
To keep him strong moving in the right direction
They do this to help him stay positive and to keep moving forward in his life.
Living just enough, just enough for the city
Despite their best efforts, the family struggles to make ends meet in the city, barely managing to make enough to get by.
His father works some days for fourteen hours
The boy's father works extremely long hours, sometimes working for fourteen hours at a time.
And you can bet he barely makes a dollar
Despite working long hours, the boy's father earns very little money.
His mother goes to scrub the floors for many
The boy's mother works hard by scrubbing floors for others to earn money.
And you'd best believe she hardly gets a penny
Despite working tirelessly, the boy's mother barely earns any money for her efforts.
Living just enough, just enough for the city yeah
The family just manages to get by in the city, barely having enough to sustain themselves.
His sister's black but she is sho 'nuff pretty
The boy's sister is black, but she is still beautiful.
Her skirt is short but Lord her legs are sturdy
While her clothing may not be the latest fashion, the girl is strong and healthy.
To walk to school she's got to get up early
To get to school on time, the girl has to wake up early and start her day before the sun comes up.
Her clothes are old but never are they dirty
Despite her family's financial struggles, her clothes are always clean, as her parents teach her to take pride in her appearance.
Living just enough, just enough for the city
The family just manages to get by in the city, with little left over for anything beyond the basics.
Her brother's smart he's got more sense than many
The boy's brother is intelligent and has more common sense than most people.
His patience's long but soon he won't have any
Despite his intelligence, the boy's patience is wearing thin, as he struggles to find work in a place that discriminates against people of color.
To find a job is like a haystack needle
Finding a job is next to impossible for people like him, as it is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
'Cause where he lives they don't use colored people
The boy is discriminated against because of his skin color, making it difficult for him to find work and get by in the city.
Living just enough, just enough for the city
The family just manages to get by in the city, with little to no help from the places where they live.
His hair is long, his feet are hard and gritty
The boy has long hair, and his feet are sore and rough from walking the streets of New York City every day to try to make ends meet.
He spends his life walking the streets of New York City
The boy's life is consumed by walking the streets of New York City, searching for work and a better way of life.
He's almost dead from breathing in air pollution
The pollution in New York City is so bad that it is taking a toll on the boy's health and is making him sick.
He tried to vote but to him there's no solution
Although he tried to vote, the boy feels like nothing will change and that there's no hope for him or his community.
Living just enough, just enough for the city yeah, yeah, yeah!
Despite their struggles, the family just manages to survive in the city, but it is a constant struggle to make ends meet.
I hope you hear inside my voice of sorrow
The singer hopes that people will listen to his words and understand the sadness and struggle that so many people face in the city.
And that it motivates you to make a better tomorrow
He hopes that his words will inspire people to create a better future and work towards a world where all people are treated equal.
This place is cruel no where could be much colder
The city is a tough place to live, with little support or help for those who are struggling to get by.
If we don't change the world will soon be over
The singer knows that if people do not work together to create a better world, then things will only get worse and the future will be bleak.
Living just enough, just enough for the city!
The family just manages to survive in the city, but it is a constant struggle to make ends meet and to avoid being overwhelmed by the many hardships they face.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: STEVIE WONDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind