Living For The City
Michael McDonald Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

A boy is born in hard time Mississippi
Surrounded by four walls that ain't so pretty
His parents give him love and affection
To keep him strong moving in the right direction
Living just enough, just enough for the city...

His father works some days for fourteen hours
And you can bet he hardly makes a dollar
His mother goes to scrub the floor for many
And you'd best believe she hardly gets a penny
Living just enough, just enough for the city...

His sister's black but she is sho 'nuff pretty
Her skirt is short but Lord her legs are sturdy
To walk to school she's got to get up early
Her clothes are old but never are they dirty
Living just enough, just enough for the city...

Her brother's smart he's got more sense than many
His patience's long but soon he won't have any
To find a job is like a haystack needle
Cause where he lives they don't use colored people
Living just enough, just enough for the city...
Living just enough...
For the city...

His hair is long, his feet are hard and gritty
He spends his love walking the streets of New York City
He's almost dead from breathing on air pollution
He tried to vote but to him there's no solution
Living just enough, just enough for the city...

I hope you hear inside my voice of sorrow
And that it motivates you to make a better tomorrow
This place is cruel no where could be much colder
If we don't change the world will soon be over
Living just enough, just enough for the city!

Living for the city (living for the city)




Living for the city
Living just enough, just enough for the city [fades]

Overall Meaning

The song "Living for the City" by Michael McDonald tells the story of a young boy growing up in the hard times of Mississippi, surrounded by four walls that aren't so pretty. Despite the harsh living conditions, his parents give him love and affection to keep him moving in the right direction. But their love can only go so far, as they struggle to make ends meet. The boy's father works long hours for little pay, while his mother works as a cleaner but barely makes any money.


As the boy grows up, his sister is described as pretty but has to walk to school early in the morning with old clothes that are never dirty. The boy's brother is smart but faces discrimination when trying to find a job, as they don't use colored people where he lives. The boy himself ends up in New York City, spending his love walking the streets to survive, with long hair and hard, gritty feet from the polluted air.


The song laments the cruel and cold world the characters are forced to live in, and urges listeners to take action to make a better tomorrow. It's a powerful commentary on poverty, discrimination, and the struggle to make a better life.


Line by Line Meaning

A boy is born in hard time Mississippi
The singer of the song is born in Mississippi, a state known for its hard times, indicating his challenges in life from the beginning.


Surrounded by four walls that ain't so pretty
The boy grows up in a place that is unappealing and doesn't offer much encouragement.


His parents give him love and affection
Despite their tough living conditions, the boy's parents provide emotional support and care for him as best they can.


To keep him strong moving in the right direction
The love and affection from his parents is meant to give him strength and guide him towards success in life.


Living just enough, just enough for the city...
The artist, like many others living in the city, can only afford to survive - just barely making enough to get by.


His father works some days for fourteen hours
The boy's father works very long hours, but doesn't earn much money despite his effort.


And you can bet he hardly makes a dollar
The father's hard work does not pay off and results in very little income for the family.


His mother goes to scrub the floor for many
The boy's mother does domestic work for others to help support the family.


And you'd best believe she hardly gets a penny
Despite her work, the mother does not earn much money and struggles to support her family.


Living just enough, just enough for the city...
The artist, like many others living in the city, can only afford to survive - just barely making enough to get by.


Her brother's smart he's got more sense than many
The singer's brother is intelligent and has good judgment.


His patience's long but soon he won't have any
Despite his intelligence, the brother's patience is running out due to his inability to find a job because of the color of his skin.


To find a job is like a haystack needle
The brother's struggle to find a job is like searching for a needle in a haystack - almost impossible.


Cause where he lives they don't use colored people
The city has a racist society where people of color are not given job opportunities.


Living just enough, just enough for the city...
The singer, like many others living in the city, can only afford to survive - just barely making enough to get by.


His hair is long, his feet are hard and gritty
The artist's physical appearance reflects his difficult life circumstances.


He spends his love walking the streets of New York City
The artist spends his time walking around the city because he has no other place to go.


He's almost dead from breathing on air pollution
The air pollution in the city is so bad that it is causing harm to the singer's health.


He tried to vote but to him there's no solution
The singer's attempts to participate in democracy by voting are futile because of the corrupt systems in place.


Living just enough, just enough for the city...
The artist, like many others living in the city, can only afford to survive - just barely making enough to get by.


I hope you hear inside my voice of sorrow
The songwriter hopes that the listeners can hear the sadness and pain in his voice, reflecting the hardships of many city dwellers.


And that it motivates you to make a better tomorrow
The songwriter hopes that his message inspires action towards a better future.


This place is cruel no where could be much colder
The city is a harsh and unforgiving place, with its coldness surpassing any other place.


If we don't change the world will soon be over
The songwriter highlights the importance of taking action to change the world, or else we are doomed to fail.


Living just enough, just enough for the city!
The singer, like many others living in the city, can only afford to survive - just barely making enough to get by.


Living for the city (living for the city)
The song concludes with the repetition of the phrase 'living for the city', emphasizing the cycle of survival that many endure in urban areas.


Living just enough, just enough for the city [fades]
The song fades out on the same line, reflecting how this struggle for survival fades into the background, but never truly goes away.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: STEVIE WONDER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions