My grandmother suits was tailor made, Sundays Mahalia played Simple familiar ways, Like how she kneeled and prayed Willin', 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 What my father was into sent him to his early grave 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, into 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 Knahmtalkin'bout? Uh, yo Story of a little ghetto boy, check it out Yeah yeah Little ghetto boy, oh Playin' in the ghetto street, ay-ay! What'chu 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 we 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? Ey-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-oy 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 its 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) Oh yeah yeah (Everything has got to get better) Whoa (Everything has got to get better) Yeah yeah yeah yeah Little ghetto boy, hm yeah Yeah yeah yeah (Everything has got to get better) Hey yeah yeah Got to believe that everything Yeah yeah yeah yeah Whoa ho oh oh oh Whoa yeah Whoa ho oh oh oh Oh yeah yeah Yeah, yeah, little ghetto boy Mm yeah yeah