Donny Hathaway
Little Ghetto Boy (Live Version)
[Intro]
Here's a little tune that will probably be my next record, I hope
It's entitled "Little Ghetto Boy"
I hope you like it
One, two, three, four

[Verse 1]
Little ghetto boy
Playing in the ghetto street
What you gonna do when you grow up
And have to face responsibility?
Will you spend your days and nights in a pool room?
Will you sell caps of madness to the neighborhood?
Little ghetto boy

[Bridge]
You already know how rough life can be
'Cause you've seen so much pain and misery

[Verse 2]
Little ghetto boy
Your daddy was blown away
He robbed that grocery store
Don't you know that was a sad, sad old day?
All of your young life
You've seen such misery and pain
The world is a cruel place
And it ain't gonna change
You're so young
And you've got so far to go
But I don't think you'll reach your goal, young man
Hanging by the pool room door
Look out, y'all
[Instrumental Break]

[Verse 3]
Little ghetto boy, yeah
When, when, when you become a man
You can make things change, yeah
Hey, hey, if you just take a stand
You've gotta believe in yourself and all you do
You've gotta fight to make it better
And you'll see how other people will start believing, too
My son, things will start to get better

[Outro]
Hey, everything
(Everything has got to get better)
I declare, I believe that today
(Everything has got to get better)
Just as soon as you make up your mind
(Everything has got to get better)
You go 'head on and do what's right
(Everything has got to get better)

[Instrumental Break]

I said everything
(Everything has got to get better)
Has got to get better
(Everything has got to get better)
I'm depending on you, little brother
(Everything has got to get better)
Hey, hey, hey, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah
Thank you very much. "Little Ghetto Boy." Will you spend your days and nights in the pool room? Will you sell caps of madness to the neighborhood? I'd like the two gentlemen that wrote that song to stand now, Ed Howard over here, and Earl DeRouen, conga player, and me