(with The Roots, feat. Black Thought)
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[Black Thought]
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My grandmother suits was tailor made, Sundays Mahalia played
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Simple familiar ways, like how she kneeled and prayed
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Willin, master forgive us, our trust pastors had us real afraid
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I never listened yet I still obeyed
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I got to see how Philly played at such an early age
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What my father was into sent him to his early grave
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Then moms started chasin that base, like Willie Mays
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My childhood was all of 40 nights and 40 days
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Trouble was my ball and chain, shorties would call me names
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Humble beginnings but a star is what it all became
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My journey from a dirty hallway, to the Hall of Fame
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Music my therapeutic way to cope with all this pain
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Was headed for the drain, soakin before the rainwater came
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And chaos, into the order came
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I started doin what I'm 'sposed to do in life
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Tryin to move out of the dark, and closer to the light
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They say if you get a chance to do it, overdo it right
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Tomorrow isn't promised every time, you say goodnight
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Knahmtalkinabout? Uhh, yo
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Story of a little ghetto boy, check it out
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[John Legend - overlapping BT's last two lines]
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Yeah yeahhh
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Little ghetto boy, ohhh
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Playin in the ghetto street, ay-ayyyy!
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What'chu gonna do when you grow up
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and have to face responsibility?
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Yeah yeahhh
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Will you spend your days and nights in a pool room?
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Will you sell caps of madness, to the neighborhood
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little ghetto boy
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You already know, how rough life could be
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Hard to see, so much pain and misery
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Yeahhhhhhh, yeahhhh
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Little ghetto boy, yeah
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Your daddy was blown away
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Heyyyy yeahhh
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He robbed that grocery store yeah
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Don't you know that was a sad sad day?
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Eyyyyy-yeah
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All your young life you've seen such misery and pain
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The world's a cruel place to live in, it ain't gonna change yeahh
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You're so young, and you've got so far to goooooo
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Don't think you'll reach your goal young man
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Talkin 'bout the ghetto boy
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Yeah yeah yeahhhh
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Yeah, yeahhh little ghetto BOYYYYY-OYYYY
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When when you become a maaaaan, yeahhhh
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You can make things change
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Oh if you just take a stand, yeah yeahhhh
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You've got to believe in yourself, in all that you doooo
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You've got to fight to make it better, better
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And you will see, that others will start believin too
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Then my son, things will start to get better
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Hey yeahhhh yeah
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"Everything has got to get better" - [repeat in background]
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Ohhh
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Everything has got to get better
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Yeahhh yeahhhhh yeah
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Don't you know it's gonna get better
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Heyyyyyy yeah yeah
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Got to believe that everything
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yeahhhhh yeah yeah yeah
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Whooahhh ho oahhh oahhh oahh
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Whoa yeah
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Whoah ho oahhh oh ohhhhhhh
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OHHHHHHHH YEAH YEAHHHH
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YEAH, YEAHHHHH, little ghetto boy
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Mmmmmm yeah yeahhhhhhhhh
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-----------------
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Little Ghetto Boy
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John Legend |