Staton sang with the Jewell Gospel Trio and as teenagers, they toured the traditional gospel circuit in the 1950s with The Soul Stirrers, C. L. Franklin, and Mahalia Jackson. They recorded several sides for Nashbro, Apollo[disambiguation needed ], and Savoy Records between 1953 and 1963, before launching a solo career in 1968.
She had 16 R&B hits for Fame Studios and received Grammy nominations for cover versions of country standards. In 1975 she started working with disco producer Dave Crawford and had hits "Young Hearts Run Free" and "Victim". Also, The Mighty Majors ("You Can Never Go Back") was her backup band once on the road.
In 1982 she returned to gospel forming Beracah Ministries with her husband John Sussewell. In 1991 she had a top 10 UK hit as The Source featuring Candi Staton with dance track "You Got The Love".
In 2004 when Sex and the City ended its successful six-year run, the last song played on that show was "You Got the Love" with Sarah Jessica Parker walking down New York City streets and talking about the endless relationship with herself.
In The Ghetto
CANDI STATON Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On a cold and gray Chicago morn
A poor little baby child is born
In the ghetto (in the ghetto)
And his mama cries
'Cause if there's one thing
That she don't need
Hungry mouth to feed
In the ghetto (in the ghetto)
People, don't you understand
The child needs a helping hand
Or he'll grow to be an
Angry young man some day
Take a look at you and me
Are we too blind to see
Or do we simply turn our heads
And look the other way
Well, the world turns
And a hungry little boy
With a runny nose
Plays in the street
As the cold wind blows
In the ghetto (in the ghetto)
And his hunger burns
So he starts to
Roam the street at night
He learns how to steal
And he learns how to fight
In the ghetto (in the ghetto)
And then one night in desperation
A young man breaks away
He buys a gun, steals a car
Tries to run, but he don't get far
And his mama cries
As a crowd gathers round
An angry young man
Face down in the street
With a gun in his hand
In the ghetto (in the ghetto)
And as her young man dies
On a cold and grey Chicago morn
Another little baby child is born
In the ghetto (in the ghetto)
And his mama cries (in the ghetto)
Candi Staton's song "In The Ghetto" is a poignant commentary on the vicious cycle of poverty and violence in inner-city neighborhoods. The opening verse sets the scene of a cold, gray Chicago morning where a "poor little baby child" is born in the ghetto. The mother's tears speak to the bleakest of circumstances - the reality that another hungry mouth to feed will be a struggle to bear. The chorus breaks into a plea to comprehend the child's plight and how that child's life will be shaped by his environment. If the child is not given a "helping hand," he is likely to grow up an "angry young man." The song implies that it is our responsibility as a society to provide that helping hand and break the cycle of poverty and violence.
The second verse describes the daily life of a hungry little boy with a runny nose playing in the streets while the cold wind blows. The hunger burns and robs the boy of his childhood innocence, as he learns how to steal and fight to survive. The desperation of his reality leads him to break away, buying a gun, stealing a car, and attempting to run. In the end, the story comes full circle, as another baby is born in the ghetto, while a young man with a gun lays face down in the street dying.
"In The Ghetto" was written by Mac Davis and first recorded by Elvis Presley in 1969. While the Elvis version was well received, Candi Staton's version, which was recorded in 1972, resonated even more deeply with audiences. The song was a top ten hit on both the R&B and Pop charts in the US and reached number 2 in the UK. It has been covered by numerous artists over the years, including Dolly Parton, Nick Cave, and Eric Cartman from South Park. In 1993, Lisa Marie Presley recorded a duet with her late father Elvis on the song, which was released as a posthumous single.
Line by Line Meaning
As the snow flies
As the snow is falling from the sky
On a cold and gray Chicago morn
On a cold and gray morning in Chicago
A poor little baby child is born
A poor and helpless newborn comes into the world
In the ghetto (in the ghetto)
In the poorest and roughest neighborhood
And his mama cries
The newborn's mother cries because of the harsh reality
'Cause if there's one thing
Because there is one thing
That she don't need
That she does not require or want
It's another little
It is another small and helpless
Hungry mouth to feed
Mouth that needs food and sustenance for survival
In the ghetto (in the ghetto)
In the unsavory circumstances of the neighborhood
People, don't you understand
People, can't you realize
The child needs a helping hand
The child requires some assistance and support
Or he'll grow to be an
Or else he will become
Angry young man some day
A frustrated and bitter young adult in the future
Take a look at you and me
Let's examine ourselves
Are we too blind to see
Are we incapable of noticing
Or do we simply turn our heads
Or do we just look away
And look the other way
And overlook the problem
Well, the world turns
Well, the world keeps moving
And a hungry little boy
And a famished young boy
With a runny nose
With a nose that is dripping
Plays in the street
Plays on the road
As the cold wind blows
When the chilly breeze comes along
In the ghetto (in the ghetto)
In the unsafe and impoverished slum area
And his hunger burns
And his insatiable craving for food continues
So he starts to
Therefore, he begins to
Roam the street at night
Walk through the street during nighttime
He learns how to steal
He figures out how to thieve
And he learns how to fight
And he comprehends how to brawl
In the ghetto (in the ghetto)
In the distressing and low-income part of the city
And then one night in desperation
And then one night, because of hopelessness
A young man breaks away
A young person runs away
He buys a gun, steals a car
He purchases a firearm, takes a vehicle unlawfully
Tries to run, but he don't get far
Attempts to escape, but he does not succeed
And his mama cries
And his mother weeps
As a crowd gathers round
As a group of people encircles the scene
An angry young man
A furious and resentful juvenile
Face down in the street
Lying with his face on the pavement
With a gun in his hand
Holding a firearm in his hand
In the ghetto (in the ghetto)
In the run-down and dangerous district
And as her young man dies
And as the young man perishes
On a cold and grey Chicago morn
On a cold and gray morning in Chicago
Another little baby child is born
Another small and vulnerable infant comes into existence
In the ghetto (in the ghetto)
In the rundown and deprived part of the city
And his mama cries (in the ghetto)
And his mother weeps in despair in the ghetto
Contributed by Avery L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Terinia reid
on It's the Anointing
I love this song