Every Ghetto, Every City

I was just a little girl (Little girl)

Skinny legs, a press and curl (Press and curl)

My mother always thought I'd be a star (My mother always thought I'd be a star)

But way before the record deal

The streets that nurtured Lauryn Hill (Uh-huh)

Made sure that I'd never go too far (What? Yo)

Every ghetto, every city, and suburban place I been

Make me recall my days in the New Jerusalem (You know, uh-uh)

Story starts in Hootaville (Hootaville)

Grew up next to Ivy Hill

When kids were stealing quartervilles for fun

Killed a guy in Carter Park (Uh)

Rode a mongoose till it's dark

Watching kids show off the stolen ones

Every ghetto, every city, and suburban place I've been (Suburban place I've been)

Make me recall my days in the New Jerusalem (Oh, what, yo?)

You know it's hard, don't forget what you got

Looking back, looking back, looking back, looking back

You know it's hard, don't forget what you got

Looking back, looking back, looking back, looking back

Bag of Bontons, twenty cents and a nickel (Well, that's a quarter)

Springfield Ave had the best popsicles

Saturday morning cartoons and kung fu

Main street roots tonic with the dreads

A beef patty and some coco bread

Move the patch from my Lees to the tongue of my shoes (Uh-uh, uh-uh)

'Member Frelinghuysen used to have the bomb leather

Back when Doug Fresh and Slick Rick was together

Looking at the crew, we thought we'd all live forever, yeah

You know it's hard, don't forget what you got (You know it's hard)

Looking back, looking back, looking back, looking back

You know it's hard, don't forget what you got (You know it's hard)

Looking back, looking back, looking back, looking back

Drills teams on Munn Street

'Member when Hawthorne and Chancellor had beef? (Yo)

Moving Records was on Central Ave

I was there at dancing school (Uh, uh)

South Orange Ave at Borlin Pool

Unaware of what we didn't have

Writing my friends names on my jeans with a marker

July fourth races outside Parker

Fireworks at Martin Stadium

The untouchable P-S-P (P-S-P)

Where all them crazy **** be

The car thief got away through Irvington

Hillside brings beef with the cops

Self destruction, record drops

And everybody's name was Muslim (Children playin', women producin')

Sensations in '88

Attracted kids from out of state

And everybody used to do the wop

Jack ya, jack ya, jack ya body

Nah, the BizMark used to amp up the party

I wish those days, they didn't stop (I wish those days, they didn't stop)

Every ghetto, every city, and suburban place I've been

Make me recall my days in the New Jerusalem (Every ghetto, every city)

You know it's hard, don't forget what you got (You know it's hard)

Looking back, looking back, looking back, looking back

You know it's hard, don't forget what you got (You know it's hard)

Looking back, looking back, looking back, looking back

You know it's hard, don't forget what you got (You know it's hard)

Looking back, looking back, looking back, looking back

Looking back, looking back, looking back

Looking back, looking back, looking back

Looking back, looking back, looking back

Looking back, looking back, looking back

Looking back, looking back, looking back