Woman of the Ghetto

I was born and raised in the ghetto

I was born and raised in the ghetto

I'm the woman of a ghetto

Listen to me, legislator

(Change, ch-ch-change, ch-change, ch-change, change)

(Change, ch-ch-change, ch-change, ch-change, change)

How do you raise your kids in the ghetto?

How do you raise your kids in the ghetto?

Feed one child and starve another

Tell me, tell me, legislator

(Change, ch-ch-change, ch-change, ch-change, change)

(Change, ch-ch-change, ch-change, ch-change, change)

Now how do make your bread in the ghetto?

How do you make your bread in the ghetto?

Baked from the souls of the dead in the ghetto

Tell me, tell me, legislator

(Change, ch-ch-change, ch-change, ch-change, change)

(Change, ch-ch-change, ch-change, ch-change, change)

Brave, free

Black me

I am the woman of a ghetto

Strong, true

My eyes ain't blue

I am the woman of a ghetto

How do we get rid of rats in the ghetto?

How do we get rid of rats in the ghetto?

Do we make 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?

Brave, free

Black me

I am the woman of the ghetto

Strong, true

My eyes ain't blue

Listen to me, legislator

My children learn just the same as yours

Long as nobody tries to close the doors

They cry with pain when the knife cuts deep

They close their eyes when they wanna sleep

We must all have identity

Woo, that's the only way that we can be free

Now peace, you say, is all that you ask

But self-respect is our separate task

You sitting up there in your ivory tower

Sixty stories tall

Now you may have seen one ghetto

But have you lived there at all?

Places like Watts

Detroit

Fillmore

Chicago

Harlem

Washington

Sing our voices

Sing our voices

Sing our voices of the ghetto

Sing our voices of the ghetto

Sing our voices

Sing our voices

'Cause I am the woman of the ghetto

See the women crying

See the children dying