I was born and raised in a ghetto

I was born and raised in a ghetto

I′m a woman of the ghetto

Listen to me, legislator

How do you raise your kids in a ghetto?

How do you raise your kids in a ghetto?

Feed one child and starve another

Tell me, tell me, legislator

How do make your bread in the ghetto?

How do make your bread in the ghetto?

Baked from the souls in the ghetto

Tell me, tell me, Legislator?

Break free

Black me

I'm a woman of the ghetto

Strong true

My eyes ain′t blue

I am a woman of the ghetto

How do we get rid of rats in the ghetto?

How do we get rid of rats in the ghetto?

Do we make it one black and one white in the ghetto?

Is that your answer, legislator?

Now, how do you legislate, brother?

Listen to me

How do you legislate, brother?

When you free one man and try to chain up the other

Tell me, tell me, legislator

How does your heart feel late at night?

How does your heart feel late at night?

Does it beat with shame, does it beat with pride?

Won't you tell me, tell me, legislator?

Break free

Black me

I am a woman of the ghetto

Strong true

My eyes ain't blue

Listen to me legislator

My children learns just th same as yours

Long as nobody tries to close the door

They cry with pain when the knife cuts deep

They even close their eyes when they wanna sleep

We must all have identities

That′s the only way that we can live free

Now, peace you say, is all that you ask?

But self-respect is a separate task

You sitting up there

In your ivory tower

60 stories tall

Now you may have seen one ghetto

But have you lived there at all?

Places like Watts

Detroit

Fillmore

Chicago

Holland

Washintong

Seen all voices

Seen all voices

Seen all voices from the ghetto

Seen all voices from the ghetto

Seen all voices

Seen all voices

′Cause I am the woman of the ghetto

See a woman cry

See the children die