The Message
Grandmaster Flash&The Furious5 Lyrics

It's like a jungle sometimes
The harsh living conditions in the ghetto make it feel like a dangerous wilderness.

It makes me wonder how I keep from goin' under
These harsh living conditions make it hard for me to survive.

Broken glass everywhere
The environment I live in is dangerous and damaged.

People pissin' on the stairs, you know they just don't care
Those around me are uncaring and disrespectful.

I can't take the smell, can't take the noise
The unpleasant smells and noises of the city make it hard to live comfortably.

Got no money to move out, I guess I got no choice
The poverty I face means I can't leave this dangerous environment.

Rats in the front room, roaches in the back
My living conditions are infested with vermin.

Junkies in the alley with a baseball bat
Drug users in my neighborhood are a constant danger.

I tried to get away but I couldn't get far
I have attempted to leave but it has been unsuccessful.

'Cause a man with a tow truck repossessed my car
Even when I have possessions, I cannot keep them due to financial struggles.

Don't push me 'cause I'm close to the edge
I am struggling to hold on to sanity due to these harsh living conditions.

I'm trying not to lose my head
I am attempting to keep my composure and not fall apart mentally.

Standin' on the front stoop hangin' out the window
I have nothing better to do than stand outside my building.

Watchin' all the cars go by, roarin' as the breezes blow
I watch the world go by, longing for something better.

Crazy lady, livin' in a bag
There are people in this neighborhood who are so broken that they live in bags.

Eatin' outta garbage pails, used to be a fag hag
This woman used to associate with gay men but now is so down on her luck she is eating out of garbage cans.

Said she'll dance the tango, skip the light fandango
Despite her situation, she has some hope and expresses it through the joy of dance.

A Zircon princess seemed to lost her senses
Someone who once thought they were royalty now seems to have lost their sanity.

Down at the peep show watchin' all the creeps
This woman is involved in the questionable activity of watching people through peepholes.

So she can tell her stories to the girls back home
Despite her circumstances, she longs to share her experiences with others who may have left the ghetto.

She went to the city and got so so seditty
She tried to improve her life by leaving the ghetto, but it only made her more pretentious.

She had to get a pimp, she couldn't make it on her own
Even when trying to escape the ghetto, she fell into prostitution because she had no other choice.

It's like a jungle sometimes
The harsh living conditions in the ghetto make it feel like a dangerous wilderness.

It makes me wonder how I keep from goin' under
These harsh living conditions make it hard for me to survive.

My brother's doin' bad, stole my mother's TV
My own family is struggling so much that they result to theft.

Says she watches too much, it's just not healthy
Even my family members struggle to cope with the stress of living in this environment.

All My Children in the daytime, Dallas at night
We escape reality by watching daytime television and nighttime soap operas.

Can't even see the game or the Sugar Ray fight
We cannot afford to indulge in our passion for sports or entertainment.

The bill collectors, they ring my phone
We are constantly hounded by creditors for unpaid bills.

And scare my wife when I'm not home
The constant harassment from bill collectors only adds to the stress of my family.

Got a bum education, double-digit inflation
The education system is failing us and there is rampant inflation that we cannot keep up with.

Can't take the train to the job, there's a strike at the station
Even when we have jobs, we cannot get to them due to public transportation issues.

Neon King Kong standin' on my back
The pressure to survive and succeed is weighing heavily on me.

Can't stop to turn around, broke my sacroiliac
I cannot afford to rest, even when my body is broken.

A mid-range migraine, cancered membrane
The stress of living in these conditions has physical consequences on my body.

Sometimes I think I'm goin' insane
The constant pressure is driving me towards mental breakdown.

I swear I might hijack a plane!
My desperation for escape is reaching dangerous levels and may lead to extreme measures.

Don't push me 'cause I'm close to the edge
I am struggling to hold on to sanity due to these harsh living conditions.

I'm trying not to lose my head
I am attempting to keep my composure and not fall apart mentally.

A child is born with no state of mind
Everyone is born without any knowledge of the world or society.

Blind to the ways of mankind
We are born without knowledge of how people behave or the world around us.

God is smilin' on you but he's frownin' too
God is happy for our birth, but sad about the struggles we will endure.

Because only God knows what you'll go through
Our fate is left in the hands of a higher power, as we cannot control the struggles we face in life.

You'll grow in the ghetto livin' second-rate
Living in a low-income area puts us at a disadvantage and limits our opportunities.

And your eyes will sing a song called deep hate
Our experiences in this environment will lead to bitterness and anger.

The places you play and where you stay
Our leisure and home environments are one and the same, as we cannot afford to go elsewhere.

Looks like one great big alleyway
Our community resembles a large dumpster or sewer rather than a neighborhood.

You'll admire all the number-book takers
We idolize people who make money through illegal means because they seem to have success in a world where we struggle to get by legally.

Thugs, pimps and pushers and the big money-makers
Those who make money through illegal means are seen as successful and enviable.

Drivin' big cars, spendin' twenties and tens
Those who make money illegally flaunt their success with luxurious cars and cash.

And you'll wanna grow up to be just like them, huh
We are influenced to strive for success through illegal means because it seems like the only way to survive.

Smugglers, scramblers, burglars, gamblers
Illegal activity is a way of life for people in the ghetto.

Pickpocket peddlers, even panhandlers
People resort to stealing or begging in the streets to survive.

You say I'm cool, huh, I'm no fool
We think of ourselves as street-smart and savvy in this environment.

But then you wind up droppin' outta high school
Our education is lacking and we often resort to dropping out to work and survive.

Now you're unemployed, all non-void
We are often left jobless and with no prospects for employment.

Walkin' round like you're Pretty Boy Floyd
We often turn to arrogance and bravado to mask our insecurity and fear.

Turned stick-up kid, but look what you done did
People resort to theft and robbery to make money in this environment, but it often leads to more trouble.

Got sent up for a eight-year bid
Criminal activity often leads to arrest and lengthy prison sentences.

Now your manhood is took and you're a Maytag
Prison can emasculate and make you vulnerable to abuse from other inmates.

Spend the next two years as a undercover fag
Prison can also lead to sexual abuse and humiliation.

Bein' used and abused to serve like hell
In prison, you are at the mercy of other inmates who may take advantage of you.

Til one day, you was found hung dead in the cell
Prison can be so stressful and dangerous that it can lead to suicide or murder by other inmates.

It was plain to see that your life was lost
This harsh environment and criminal lifestyle can end in tragedy.

You was cold and your body swung back and forth
The reality of death in the ghetto is gruesome and violent.

But now your eyes sing the sad, sad song
Even in death, the pain and misery of this environment leaves its mark on us.

Of how you lived so fast and died so young so
The harshness and danger of the ghetto can lead to a short and violent life.