[Intro: Joe Budden]
Always had big dreams
Everybody had big dreams though
I ain't never wanna stay here, I had no intentions
I never had no plans

[Hook: Emanny]
Live my life
Gotta know how to survive
Just can't hide
These streets eat you alive
Ghetto burbs
Cause I'm from two different worlds
Ghetto burbs
Comin' from the ghetto burbs

[Verse 1: Joe Budden]
Ghetto burbs, I'm from the ghetto of Jerz'
From where the peddlers serve, use hand gestures for words
Big-up to LA, they was ahead of the curve
My hood we gangbang, you can get left on the curb
Yep, I was raised here, but I'm tryin' to export
Police is crooked, the strippers is escorts
Like my homie Layla, really I can't knock her
Cause she gettin' paper, month ago she was knocked up
Baby-daddy a dope-boy, fresh home he was locked up
But he on the same shit, fucked around and got shot up
In my same mind, I'm like why he even bother?
At the same time, don't know what he was a part of
Layla over the casket, tears coming harder
The hood wins again, another son with no father
Gotta take it in stride, 'round here that's the usual
But I ain't accustomed, that shit I can't get used to
I'm trying to survive
[Hook]

[Verse 2: Joe Budden]
Ghetto burbs, I'm from the ghetto of Jerz'
From where the ghetto's disturbed, you can be dead in a hearse
Say a prayer daily and end it with "better or worse"
I lost faith, but grandma still keep her head up in church
Murder rate sky-high, employment is real low
Little kid try to rap, but will he get a deal? No
Cause poverty kills slow, belief is beyond you
7 out of ever 10 bitches here got the monster
Like my little homie Tanya, I met her at Freaknik
Freak shit, the same bitch them n***as be all out in the street with
Open, in love with the service
But she got resentments you won't see from the surface
Feel like so many women look great, so she worship
Caught AIDS from rape, thought her whole life was worthless
Ho couldn't know how gorgeous her curves is
She fucking 'em raw and hope to catch it on purpose
You better survive

[Hook]

[Verse 3: Joe Budden]
Ghetto burbs, I'm from the ghetto of Jerz'
I ain't tryin' to act like my part of the ghetto's the worst
N***as is tricks here, they'll buy stilettos for birds
How did I get here? They act like the metal don't hurt
You just getting high, guess they trying to escape it
Or commit suicide assuming they couldn't take it
The streets is cold, still we run around naked
Success is a void and we replace it with hatred
That's your homie from way back, from so many years old
But friends turn green, even that acted weird old
You think he cared? No, y'all used to share clothes
Now you struggle for rent and he got ice in his earlobes
Your man won't even extend a hand, meeting all his career goals
You need a whole 'nother plan, your career's froze
Valuables are more valuable
Than everything even value to dude
Cause you gotta survive
[Hook]

[Outro]
Coming from this ghetto burb
Coming from the ghetto babe
Gotta know how to survive, streets eat you alive
Coming from the ghetto burbs
Said the streets eat you alive, alive, yeah