The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
It's crazy out here (uhhhhhhh)
Yo mama I'm tryin to keep my head strong (whats up Mystikal?)
Uhhhhhh! (uhhhhhh) I'm just a ghetto child trying to make it
Uhhhhhh! I'm just a ghetto child trying to make it
Uhhhhhh! This ghetto got me crazy
Mamma, won't you pray for your baby?
Uhhhhhh! I'm just a ghetto child trying to make it
Mamma, I'm just a ghetto child trying to make it
I feel like a bird nigga with no wings
I'm stuck in this ghetto trying to have a little change
My homies killing up each other cause we gotta eat
And I ain't tripping cause I'm running from the police
I done seen little kids in the projects starving
I done seen more hoes messing then Marvin
See in the ghetto the sun it barely shines
But so many niggas in jail and the welfare lines
And all my life I thought Bill Clinton ran the country
Until I found out Bill Gates had all the money
And the media starting east and west coast wars
I'm from the south, where they predijuce on us all
Come out of the powdered milk and eggs don't fill us up
But why the government sold us drugs and charges to clean us up
Gave us three halves and high interest student loans
Four dollar minimum wage and section eight, we call it home
Uhhhhhh! This ghetto got me crazy
Mamma, won't you pray for your baby?
Uhhhhhh! I'm just a ghetto child trying to make it
Mamma, I'm just a ghetto child trying to make it
Uhhhhhh! This ghetto got me crazy
Mamma, won't you pray for your baby?
Uhhhhhh! I'm just a ghetto child trying to make it
Mamma, I'm just a ghetto child trying to make it
It's real when you can do whatever you want to do
when you want to do it
Ain't to many niggas out there living like that
That's why the rest of you niggas aint never gone through it
How many niggas in the penn
how many niggas in the cemetary don't know why?
How many strikes y'all niggas need
How many innocent children in the ghetto got to lose thier lives?
WHY!!!! Why you gotta make your momma cry?
HUH!!!! She take you out of the street
cause that's where you gonna die
But you won't listen cause your mind is one track
and your head is hard
And your getting flipped, and your talking back
Showing your ashy act, ass straight up off the wall
Lemme talk to y'all, don't think it's too hard to fall
but that's far and all
And sore and all, it's cool when it started off
Now niggas duckin bullets like dodgeballs
Niggas got me scared to plant my seeds, fear of high's gonna grow
Living in a messed up time, a messed up court
I'm telling ya, you can't do shit no more!
It's bigger than us, it's out of our hands
that's why I'm praying to God
Oh heavenly father, keep my head above the water
Cause it's your world, and we your children
your sons and your daughters
We struggling, trying to get out of the ghetto
trying to make it to mars!!!
Uhhhhhh! This ghetto got me crazy
Mamma, won't you pray for your baby?
Uhhhhhh! I'm just a ghetto child trying to make it
Mamma, I'm just a ghetto child trying to make it
Uhhhhhh! This ghetto got me crazy
Mamma, won't you pray for your baby?
Uhhhhhh! I'm just a ghetto child trying to make it
Mamma, I'm just a ghetto child trying to make it
Dear mama pray for your son, hoping I can make it through this game
Wishing I can change, I've been through so much
Seen so many things, couldn't find the words to explain
The only way to avoid stress is to get high, by drinking hennessey but I
But I can't get too high, cause I gotta keep my eyes on my enemies
I've seen harder times, but there gonna be some harder days
Penetentary close, but you know what? Cemetaries aint that far away
Before I die I'm trying to make the whole world feel
like our people scared to stand there
The way we express ourself, they think that we all some killers
But look into the eyes of a ghetto child influenced by the street
Go to sleep to gunshots, wake up from the sirens of the police
See now my life aint been the same nigga, life as a thug
If I had to draw a picture of my life
I have to paint my picture in blood
Closest homie died, before he die little cousin told me this
Get you something cause cemetaries
packed full of niggas who had dreams to be rich
So keep your head up, to all my ghetto children it was hard
To tell my family one day I was gonna grow up to make millions
When I told them, they seemed to laugh at my so called dream
I like to scream when I came home from jail
When I was told best friend turned into a fiend
I aint gonna lie, my conscience aint clear, when I close my eyes
Of course you gotta realize, god forgive me, I'm just trying to survive
They cut welfare and health care, that shit gotta stop
I got a positive note, my auntie having a baby
Congratulations, she on rocks
Uhhhhhh! This ghetto got me crazy
Mamma, won't you pray for your baby?
Uhhhhhh! I'm just a ghetto child trying to make it
Mamma, I'm just a ghetto child trying to make it
Uhhhhhh! This ghetto got me crazy
Mamma, won't you pray for your baby?
Uhhhhhh! I'm just a ghetto child trying to make it
Mamma, I'm just a ghetto child trying to make it
Yo mama I'm tryin to keep my head strong (whats up Mystikal?)
Uhhhhhh! (uhhhhhh) I'm just a ghetto child trying to make it
Uhhhhhh! I'm just a ghetto child trying to make it
Uhhhhhh! This ghetto got me crazy
Mamma, won't you pray for your baby?
Uhhhhhh! I'm just a ghetto child trying to make it
Mamma, I'm just a ghetto child trying to make it
I feel like a bird nigga with no wings
I'm stuck in this ghetto trying to have a little change
My homies killing up each other cause we gotta eat
And I ain't tripping cause I'm running from the police
I done seen little kids in the projects starving
I done seen more hoes messing then Marvin
See in the ghetto the sun it barely shines
But so many niggas in jail and the welfare lines
And all my life I thought Bill Clinton ran the country
Until I found out Bill Gates had all the money
And the media starting east and west coast wars
I'm from the south, where they predijuce on us all
Come out of the powdered milk and eggs don't fill us up
But why the government sold us drugs and charges to clean us up
Gave us three halves and high interest student loans
Four dollar minimum wage and section eight, we call it home
Uhhhhhh! This ghetto got me crazy
Mamma, won't you pray for your baby?
Uhhhhhh! I'm just a ghetto child trying to make it
Mamma, I'm just a ghetto child trying to make it
Uhhhhhh! This ghetto got me crazy
Mamma, won't you pray for your baby?
Uhhhhhh! I'm just a ghetto child trying to make it
Mamma, I'm just a ghetto child trying to make it
It's real when you can do whatever you want to do
when you want to do it
Ain't to many niggas out there living like that
That's why the rest of you niggas aint never gone through it
How many niggas in the penn
how many niggas in the cemetary don't know why?
How many strikes y'all niggas need
How many innocent children in the ghetto got to lose thier lives?
WHY!!!! Why you gotta make your momma cry?
HUH!!!! She take you out of the street
cause that's where you gonna die
But you won't listen cause your mind is one track
and your head is hard
And your getting flipped, and your talking back
Showing your ashy act, ass straight up off the wall
Lemme talk to y'all, don't think it's too hard to fall
but that's far and all
And sore and all, it's cool when it started off
Now niggas duckin bullets like dodgeballs
Niggas got me scared to plant my seeds, fear of high's gonna grow
Living in a messed up time, a messed up court
I'm telling ya, you can't do shit no more!
It's bigger than us, it's out of our hands
that's why I'm praying to God
Oh heavenly father, keep my head above the water
Cause it's your world, and we your children
your sons and your daughters
We struggling, trying to get out of the ghetto
trying to make it to mars!!!
Uhhhhhh! This ghetto got me crazy
Mamma, won't you pray for your baby?
Uhhhhhh! I'm just a ghetto child trying to make it
Mamma, I'm just a ghetto child trying to make it
Uhhhhhh! This ghetto got me crazy
Mamma, won't you pray for your baby?
Uhhhhhh! I'm just a ghetto child trying to make it
Mamma, I'm just a ghetto child trying to make it
Dear mama pray for your son, hoping I can make it through this game
Wishing I can change, I've been through so much
Seen so many things, couldn't find the words to explain
The only way to avoid stress is to get high, by drinking hennessey but I
But I can't get too high, cause I gotta keep my eyes on my enemies
I've seen harder times, but there gonna be some harder days
Penetentary close, but you know what? Cemetaries aint that far away
Before I die I'm trying to make the whole world feel
like our people scared to stand there
The way we express ourself, they think that we all some killers
But look into the eyes of a ghetto child influenced by the street
Go to sleep to gunshots, wake up from the sirens of the police
See now my life aint been the same nigga, life as a thug
If I had to draw a picture of my life
I have to paint my picture in blood
Closest homie died, before he die little cousin told me this
Get you something cause cemetaries
packed full of niggas who had dreams to be rich
So keep your head up, to all my ghetto children it was hard
To tell my family one day I was gonna grow up to make millions
When I told them, they seemed to laugh at my so called dream
I like to scream when I came home from jail
When I was told best friend turned into a fiend
I aint gonna lie, my conscience aint clear, when I close my eyes
Of course you gotta realize, god forgive me, I'm just trying to survive
They cut welfare and health care, that shit gotta stop
I got a positive note, my auntie having a baby
Congratulations, she on rocks
Uhhhhhh! This ghetto got me crazy
Mamma, won't you pray for your baby?
Uhhhhhh! I'm just a ghetto child trying to make it
Mamma, I'm just a ghetto child trying to make it
Uhhhhhh! This ghetto got me crazy
Mamma, won't you pray for your baby?
Uhhhhhh! I'm just a ghetto child trying to make it
Mamma, I'm just a ghetto child trying to make it
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Ghetto Child Lyrics as written by Mary C Brockert Mary Brockert
Lyrics © Ultra Tunes, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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