As the snow flies
On a cold and gray Chicago mornin'
A poor little baby child is born
In the ghetto

And his mama cries
'Cause if there's one thing that she don't need
It's another hungry mouth to feed
In the ghetto

People, don't you understand
The child needs a helping hand
Or he'll grow to be an angry young man some day

Take a look at you and me
Are we too blind to see,
Do we simply turn our heads
And look the other way

Well the world turns
And a hungry little boy with a runny nose
Plays in the street as the cold wind blows
In the ghetto

And his hunger burns
So he starts to roam the streets at night
And he learns how to steal
And he learns how to fight in the ghetto

Then one night in desperation
A young man breaks away
He buys a gun, steals a car
Tries to run, but he don't get far
And his mama cries

As a crowd gathers 'round an angry young man
Face down on the street with a gun in his hand
In the ghetto

As her young man dies
On a cold and gray Chicago mornin'
Another little baby child is born
In the ghetto


Lyrics submitted by TheDirge

In The Ghetto Lyrics as written by Mac Davis

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Missing Link Music, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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In the Ghetto (Elvis Presley cover) song meanings
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  • +1
    General CommentDelores does a good rendition here of “In the Ghetto” a song written by American singer-songwriter Scott Davis and made popular by rock and roll singer Elvis Presley. The song was released in 1969 as a 45 rpm single with "Any Day Now" as the flip side. It is a narrative story of a young boy who grows up in the ghetto, steals and fights, and eventually is shot and killed.
    The song was Presley's first Top 10 hit in the US in four years, and his first UK Top 10 hit in three years.
    TheDirgeon February 18, 2008   Link

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