Lyrics Bobbie Gentry – In The Ghetto

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
A child needs a helpin’ hand
Or he’ll grow to be an angry young man someday

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
The young man breaks away
He buys a gun and he steals a car
He 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

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

And his mama cries