The band has been cited as a major influence by higher-profile hardcore punk acts such as Hot Water Music and Dillinger Four. Jack Rabid, music critic and publisher of the music magazine Big Takeover, once listed Leatherface's 1992 release Mush as one of the fifty greatest punk albums of all time.
Their ninth full length release ‘The Stormy Petrel’ was released to critical acclaim in February 2010 on their own record label Big Ugly Fish Recordings.
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In The Ghetto
Leatherface Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As the snow flies on a cold and gray Chicago morning
Poor little baby child is born in the ghetto
And his mama cries for 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
He's going to be an angry young man some day
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 street at night
He learns how to steal and he learns how to fight in the ghetto
And then one night in desperation the young man breaks away
He buys a gun steals a car he tries to run
But he won't get far and his mama cries
As the crowd gathers round the angry young man
Face down in the street with a gun in his hand in the ghetto
As her young man dies on a cold and grey Chicago morning
Poor little baby child is born in the ghetto and his mama cries
Leatherface's version of "In The Ghetto" is a cover of the original song by Elvis Presley. The lyrics to the song are powerful as they speak of hardship and poverty in inner cities, and the cycle of poverty that can perpetuate from generation to generation. In the opening lines, the singer is born into a situation where he is destined to struggle for basic necessities like food and shelter. The song speaks of the mother's helplessness in trying to provide for her child and the frustration of living in a society where there seems to be little support for those in need.
The song paints a vivid picture of life in the ghetto and highlights the dangers that exist in such environments. The child grows up with little guidance, and as he becomes an adult, he turns to crime to survive. The song speaks of the difficulty of breaking free from this cycle of poverty and how, in the end, it often leads to tragedy. The story of the young man's despair and his mother's heartbreak is a common one in many inner cities around the world.
The song is a sobering reminder of the struggles that many people face every day. It highlights the need for greater support for those in need and the importance of breaking the cycle of poverty. Leatherface's version of the song is a powerful rendition, with its raw and emotive vocals adding to the poignancy of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
As the snow flies on a cold and gray Chicago morning
The setting of the song is described to be cold and grey in Chicago
Poor little baby child is born in the ghetto
A baby is born in a low-income, poverty-stricken area
And his mama cries for if there's one thing that she don't need
The mother is already struggling to provide for her family and doesn't need another mouth to feed
It's another hungry mouth to feed in the ghetto
The mother can barely provide enough food for her current family in this impoverished area
People don't you understand the child needs a helping hand
The child needs assistance and support from the community
He's going to be an angry young man some day
If the child doesn't receive help, he will become resentful and bitter towards the world
So take a look at you and me are we too blind to see
The singer questions whether we, the listeners, are unaware of the struggles faced by those in poverty
Do we simply turn our heads and look the other way
The singer wonders if society ignores these issues and turns a blind eye to the struggles of impoverishment
Well the world turns and a hungry little boy with a runny nose
Despite the world moving on, the struggles of the impoverished boy still persist
Plays in the street as the cold wind blows in the ghetto
The child must entertain himself in the harsh conditions of his environment
And his hunger burns so he starts to roam the street at night
The boy is so hungry that he has to search for food and resources at night
He learns how to steal and he learns how to fight in the ghetto
The child learns these survival skills in order to get by in his harsh environment
And then one night in desperation the young man breaks away
Eventually, the boy reaches a point where he tries to break free from his current situation
He buys a gun steals a car he tries to run
However, his escape plan involves illegal activities such as theft and purchasing a gun
But he won't get far and his mama cries
The escape plan ultimately fails, the young man is caught and his mother is distraught
As the crowd gathers round the angry young man
The failed escape attempt leads to attention and gatherings around the young man
Face down in the street with a gun in his hand in the ghetto
The young man is found on the ground, defeated, holding onto his gun in the poverty-stricken area
As her young man dies on a cold and grey Chicago morning
The mother loses her son in the same cold, grey Chicago environment he was born into
Poor little baby child is born in the ghetto and his mama cries
The cycle of poverty and struggle continues with the birth of another child and the mother's tears
Contributed by Nathaniel C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jeremy Edds
yeah!