In The Ghetto
Ghetto People Lyrics


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As the snow flies
On a cold and gray Chicago mornin'
A poor little baby child is born
In the ghetto
And his mama cries
'Cause if there's one thing that she don't need
It's another hungry mouth to feed
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,
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
And his hunger burns
So he starts to roam the streets at night
And he learns how to steal
And he learns how to fight in the ghetto
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 on the street with a gun in his hand
In the ghetto
As her young man dies
On a cold and gray Chicago mornin'




Another little baby child is born
In the ghetto

Overall Meaning

The song "In the Ghetto" by Ghetto People is a commentary on the cyclical nature of poverty and violence that plagues inner-city communities. It starts off with a bleak image of a poor mother giving birth to a child in the cold and gray Chicago morning. We see the mother's desperation as she understands that she can barely support herself, let alone a newborn baby. She knows that without help, this child will grow into an angry young man, unable to escape the cycle of poverty and violence. The song highlights the need for societal intervention and support to help break the vicious cycle of poverty and crime.


The second verse of the song takes us further into the bleakness of inner-city life. We see a hungry little boy with a runny nose playing on the street, while the cold wind blows. And then, in desperation, he starts to roam the streets at night, learning to steal and fight to survive. The third verse describes the tragic outcome of this desperate life. A young man breaks away, buys a gun, steals a car and tries to run, but he is caught and dies on the street. As the song comes full circle, we see the mother's repeated experience of giving birth to a new child as the old child dies. The song effectively ends where it began, emphasizing the cyclical nature of poverty and violence.


Overall, the lyrics of "In the Ghetto" are emotionally charged and thought-provoking. They bring to light the harsh realities of life in inner-city communities and point to the urgent need for solutions to address these issues.


Line by Line Meaning

As the snow flies
Amidst a wintery scene


On a cold and gray Chicago mornin'
On a cold, bleak morning in the city of Chicago


A poor little baby child is born
A new little life comes into the world


In the ghetto
Born into poverty and hardship


And his mama cries
The child's mother sheds tears


'Cause if there's one thing that she don't need
Because she doesn't need anything else


It's another hungry mouth to feed
She already struggles to provide for her family


In the ghetto
In this place of struggle and difficulty


People, don't you understand
Can't you see


The child needs a helping hand
This child needs assistance


Or he'll grow to be an angry young man some day
Otherwise he may become a resentful and troubled adult


Take a look at you and me
Examine our own lives


Are we too blind to see,
Are we unaware of the struggle around us


Do we simply turn our heads
Do we ignore the harsh reality


And look the other way
Pretend it doesn't exist


Well the world turns
Society moves on


And a hungry little boy with a runny nose
One child, in particular, is in great need


Plays in the street as the cold wind blows
Despite the weather, he still finds ways to have fun


In the ghetto
In this place of poverty and hardship


And his hunger burns
He continues to suffer from a lack of food


So he starts to roam the streets at night
He tries to find food and shelter wherever he can


And he learns how to steal
He begins to resort to criminal behavior to survive


And he learns how to fight in the ghetto
He is forced to become aggressive to protect himself and his family


Then one night in desperation
In a moment of intense need


A young man breaks away
A teenager or young adult decides to leave the ghetto


He buys a gun, steals a car
He turns to violence and theft to try and escape


Tries to run, but he don't get far
His escape attempt is unsuccessful


And his mama cries
His mother is filled with sorrow


As a crowd gathers 'round an angry young man
Witnesses gather around the agitated youth


Face down on the street with a gun in his hand
He is in a dangerous and possibly deadly situation


In the ghetto
All of this tragedy happens in the context of poverty and hardship


As her young man dies
Her child loses his life


On a cold and gray Chicago mornin'
Another bleak morning dawns in the city


Another little baby child is born
Another new little life comes into the world


In the ghetto
Born into the same struggle as the child before




Contributed by Chase C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

У Калинкина моста

Спасибо тому кто нашел и выложил
Я ее с глубокой юности искал
Одна из моих самых любимых песен!!!

Daniel Schindler

Seit den 90ern eines meiner Lieblingslieder!!!! Das Original ist natürlich unerreicht aber für mich ist das hier ebenbürtig und gehört für mich zu den 90er Klassikern!

Anni Hilatrix

das Lied is geil aber die Qualität von dem Video is scheisse :-(

satinin88

Thank you for uploading. Such a great time it was. Happy times =)

Jay Fake

brings back such memories... <3

Florin38O1

Best RNB cover!

7119

In 2020 ! we are here ,,, loving the music of the king Elvis ...

A. H.

And in 2023🤣

Manfred Ankner

Ich bin 80er 90er und liebe diesen song

Jasmin Nitsche

Wow er singt wirklich elvis sehr gut

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