La la la la, la la la la
La la la la, la la la la la

Ghetto is a state of mind
Ghetto is a place you’ll find
Doesn’t matter who you are
Only thing that matters is
Where you end up
Ghetto is a state of mind
Ghetto is place inside
Doesn’t matter where you’re from
Only thing that matters is
Where you end up

[Verse 1:]
A child is born, tenement slum
He may be poor, but never was dumb
He’s clothes are worn, his shoes and feet
Are shined and clean but nothing to eat
He grew a man head held high
He wrote a book and won the Nobel prize
Where you are does not depend on
Where you’re going or where you’ve been, ‘cause

[Chorus]
[Verse 2:]
A baby’s born high on the hill
With a silver spoon and a free will
Plant the garden and sow the seeds
There’ll be flowers but there will be weeds
Grew a man head held bent
Broke the law and away he went
Where you are does not depend on
Where you’re going or where you’ve been, ‘cause

La la la la, la la la la
La la la la, la la la la la

[Rap: Common]
Broken glass, children smokin’ fast
A ghetto education don’t mean there’s no class
We know fast what life is
Gang ways could be the paths to righteousness
A blackbird flew from where we come from
She was always told she wasn’t gon’ be nothin’
Now we hug her like the shero that she is
Now she bring dreams back to impact the kids
In the ghetto there’s poverty
But ain’t no stoppin’ me
We gon’ keep building ‘cause we are God’s property
Greatness even though there’s oppression
The beauty of the ghetto’s the essence
La la la la, la la la la
La la la la, la la la la la

[Spoken Word: Siedah Garrett]
Webster’s defines the word “ghetto” as the poorest part of any city in which a particular group lives, with limited opportunity. A crowded urban district, confined by poverty or prejudice. To me G.H.E.T.T.O. stands for “Greatness Happens Even Though There’s Oppression.”

[Chorus]

Greatness even though there’s oppression
The beauty of the ghetto’s the essence
Greatness even though there’s oppression
The beauty of the ghetto’s the essence
Greatness even though there’s oppression
The beauty of the ghetto’s the essence