Little Ghetto Boy
John Legend & The Roots Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sundays Mahalia played
Simple familiar ways
Like how she kneeled and prayed
Wailin', master, forgive us
Our trust, pastors had us real afraid
I never listened, yet I still obeyed
I got to see how Philly played at such an early age
Then moms started chasin' that base, like Willie Mays
My childhood was all of forty nights and forty days
Trouble was my ball and chain, shorties would call me names
Humble beginnings
But a star is what it all became
My journey from a dirty hallway
To the Hall of Fame
Music, my therapeutic way to cope with all this pain
Was headed for the drain
Soakin' before the rainwater came
And chaos, until the order came
I started doin' what I'm 'sposed to do in life
Tryin' to move out of the dark
And closer to the light
They say if you get a chance to do it over, do it right
Tomorrow isn't promised every time you say goodnight
Know what I'm talkin' 'bout? Uh, yo (yeah, yeah)
Story of a little ghetto boy, check it out
Little ghetto boy, oh
Playin' in the ghetto street, ayy
What you gonna do when you grow up
And have to face responsibility?
Yeah, yeah
Will you spend your days and nights in a pool room?
Will you sell caps of madness to the neighborhood
Little ghetto boy
You already know how rough life could be
'Cause you see so much pain and misery
Yeah, yeah
Little ghetto boy, yeah
Your daddy was blown away
Hey, yeah
He robbed that grocery store, yeah
Do you know that was a sad, sad day?
Ayy, yeah
All your young life you've seen such misery and pain
The world's a cruel place to live in, it ain't gonna change, yeah
You're so young, and you've got so far to go
Don't think you'll reach your goal, young man
Talkin 'bout the ghetto boy
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, little ghetto boy
When, when you become a man, yeah
You can make things change
Oh, if you just take a stand, yeah, yeah
You've got to believe in yourself, in all that you do
You've got to fight to make it better, better
And you will see that others will start believin' too
Then my son, things will start to get better
Hey, yeah, yeah
(Everything has got to get better)
Oh (everything has got to get better)
Everything is gonna get better (everything has got to get better)
Yeah, yeah, yeah (everything has got to get better)
Don't you know it's gonna get better (everything has got to get better)
Hey, yeah, yeah (everything has got to get better)
I do believe that everything (everything has got to get better)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (everything has got to get better)
Whoa (everything has got to get better)
Whoa, yeah, yeah (everything has got to get better)
Whoa (everything has got to get better)
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Little ghetto boy, mmm, yeah
The song "Little Ghetto Boy" by John Legend & The Roots depicts the harsh realities of growing up in the ghetto streets of Philadelphia. The lyrics start by describing the simple yet familiar ways of the singer's grandmother, who had tailor-made suits and listened to Mahalia on Sundays. However, the song quickly shifts to the rough experiences of the singer, who experienced fear due to the trust he had in pastors and the troubles he faced growing up. The singer's father died young, leaving his mom to chase after drugs, and as a child, "trouble was [his] ball and chain" as he faced name-calling and difficulties in life. But the singer uses music as a therapeutic way to cope with the pain and eventually moves towards the light, hoping for a better tomorrow.
The chorus of "Little Ghetto Boy" reflects a conversation between a grown-up and a little boy still living in the ghetto. It asks what the little boy will do when he grows up and how he will take on the responsibility of facing the harsh realities of the world. The song describes the sorrowful day when the young boy's dad died, and it reflects on how many blacks in America grow up in the ghetto, see pain and society's unfairness, and yet have to work harder to make a life for themselves.
Overall, "Little Ghetto Boy" captures the undeniable realities of growing up in a ghetto, facing pain, uncertainty, and hardship. However, it is also a message of hope and resilience, calling on young people to believe in themselves and work hard to overcome their limitations and circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
My grandmother's suits was tailor made
My grandmother would dress nicely on Sundays for church
Sundays Mahalia played
Mahalia Jackson's gospel music was played on Sundays
Simple familiar ways
Life was simple and routine
Like how she kneeled and prayed
My grandmother would pray on her knees
Wailin', master, forgive us
We would plead for forgiveness from God
Our trust, pastors had us real afraid
We were afraid of pastors because of their power over our religious beliefs
I never listened, yet I still obeyed
I didn't understand why we had to obey, but I still did what I was told
I got to see how Philly played at such an early age
I experienced life in Philadelphia as a child
What my father was into sent him to his early grave
My father's actions led to his early death
Then moms started chasin' that base, like Willie Mays
My mother became addicted to drugs
My childhood was all of forty nights and forty days
It felt like my childhood was brief
Trouble was my ball and chain, shorties would call me names
I had a difficult childhood and was often bullied
Humble beginnings
I came from a modest background
But a star is what it all became
Despite hardships, I became successful
My journey from a dirty hallway
I came from a rough environment
To the Hall of Fame
I achieved great success in the music industry
Music, my therapeutic way to cope with all this pain
Music helped me cope with my struggles
Was headed for the drain
My life was on a difficult path
Soakin' before the rainwater came
I was on the brink of disaster
And chaos, until the order came
My life was in disarray until things fell into place
I started doin' what I'm 'sposed to do in life
I found my purpose in life
Tryin' to move out of the dark
I was striving to overcome my struggles
And closer to the light
I was moving towards success
They say if you get a chance to do it over, do it right
It's important to make the most of second chances
Tomorrow isn't promised every time you say goodnight
Life is unpredictable and we should appreciate every day
Story of a little ghetto boy, check it out
This is the story of a boy's journey from hardship to success and fulfillment
Little ghetto boy, oh
The song is addressed to a young boy from the ghetto
Playin' in the ghetto street, ayy
The boy plays in the streets of the ghetto
What you gonna do when you grow up
What are your plans for the future?
And have to face responsibility?
Responsibility comes with adulthood
Will you spend your days and nights in a pool room?
Will you waste your life on unproductive activities?
Will you sell caps of madness to the neighborhood
Will you contribute to the neighborhood's problems?
Little ghetto boy
The song is addressed to the boy again
You already know how rough life could be
You have already experienced hardships in life
Cause you see so much pain and misery
You have witnessed a lot of suffering in your community
Your daddy was blown away
Your father died a violent death
He robbed that grocery store, yeah
Your father was involved in criminal activity
Do you know that was a sad, sad day?
Your father's death was a tragedy
All your young life you've seen such misery and pain
You have been exposed to a lot of suffering in your young life
The world's a cruel place to live in, it ain't gonna change
The world is full of cruelty, and it may never change
You're so young, and you've got so far to go
You have a long life ahead of you
Don't think you'll reach your goal, young man
You may struggle to achieve your dreams, but don't give up
When, when you become a man, yeah
As you grow up and mature
You can make things change
You have the power to make a positive impact in the world
Oh, if you just take a stand, yeah, yeah
Stand up for what you believe in and make a difference
You've got to believe in yourself, in all that you do
Believe in your abilities and dreams
You've got to fight to make it better, better
Work hard to improve your circumstances
And you will see that others will start believin' too
Your success will inspire others to believe in themselves
Then my son, things will start to get better
With determination, things will improve for you
Hey, yeah, yeah
(Everything has got to get better)
Oh (everything has got to get better)
Everything is gonna get better (everything has got to get better)
Yeah, yeah, yeah (everything has got to get better)
Don't you know it's gonna get better (everything has got to get better)
Hey, yeah, yeah (everything has got to get better)
I do believe that everything (everything has got to get better)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (everything has got to get better)
Whoa (everything has got to get better)
Whoa, yeah, yeah (everything has got to get better)
Whoa (everything has got to get better)
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Little ghetto boy, mmm, yeah
The song is addressed to the boy once again
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Eddy Howard, Earl Ceasar De Rouen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Bloghairy
All of these guy's are world class, but that bass player is amazing. Fucking fantastic.
@thomassheffey9514
Owen fucking Biddle!
@mbkeys93
love this it shows how much work is actually put in to produce music
@walterfields3467
This is musical perfection. Every instrument, the way they're played. The soul. The emotion in the flute. Captain Kirk on the lead guitar and Oskie Love on the bass are ridiculous. Of course Quest is one of the great drummers in American music history. Black Thought is easily Top 10 alltime as an emcee. John Legend meshed beautifully with The Roots on that album but these studio videos sound even better than the album did.
But here's my question: Who the hell gave a thumbs down?!?!
@quentinbishop9578
I love this whole live performance
@brinkksmusic
Live music is the best music. It takes a lot of focus and experience to get it right like that. Beautiful song and studio session.
@ReinaldoScott
Som da alma !!!
@silvertone25
Such a dangerous groove, these guys are great musician's.
@comedygeek
The Roots and John Legend -- what a freakin' amazing combination. Great song!
@RaphaelOliveira270
when I am old and tired of the music of today I still listen to the roots!