Every Ghetto, Every City
I was just a little girl 
Skinny legs, a press and curl 
My mother always thought I'd be a star 
But way before my record deal, 
The streets that nurtured Lauryn Hill 
Made sure that I'd never go too far 
Every ghetto, every city and suburban place I've 
been 
Make me recall my days in the New Jerusalem 
Story starts at Hootaville grew up next to Ivy Hill 
When kids were stealing quartervilles for fun 
"Kill the guy" in Carter park 
Rode a Mongoose 'til it's dark 
Watching kids show off the stolen ones 
Every ghetto, every city and suburban place I've 
been 
Make me recall my days in New Jerusalem 
You know it's hot, don't forget what you've got 
Looking back, 
Looking back, looking back, looking back 
You know it's hot, don't forget what you've got 
Looking back 
Thinking back, thinking back, thinking back 

A bag of Bontons, twenty cents and a nickel 
Springfield Ave. had the best popsicles 
Saturday morning cartoons and Kung-Fu 
Main street roots tonic with the dreds 
A beef patty and some coco bread 
Move the patch from my Lees to the tongue of my 
shoe 
'Member Frelng-Huysen used to have the bomb 
leather 
Back when Doug Fresh and Slick Rick were 
together 
Looking at the crew, we thought we'd all live 
forever 

You know it's hot, don't forget what you've got 
Looking back 
Thinking back, thinking back, thinking back 
You know it's hot, don't forget what you've got 
Looking back 
Thinking back, thinking back, thinking back 

Drill teams on Munn street 
Remember when Hawthorne and Chancellor had 
beef 
Moving Records was on Central Ave. 
I was there at dancing school 
South Orange Ave. at Borlin pool 
Unaware of what we didn't have 
Writing your friends' names on your jeans with a 
marker 

July 4th races off of Parker 
Fireworks at Martin stadium 
The Untouchable P.S.P., where all them crazy 
------- be 
And car thieves got away through Irvington 
Hillside brings beef with the cops 
Self-Destruction record drops 
And everybody's name was Muslim 
Sensations and '88 attracted kids from out-of-state 
And everybody used to do the wop 
Jack, Jack, Jack ya body 
Nah, the Biz Mark used to amp up the party 
I wish those days, they didn't stop 
Every ghetto, every city and suburban place I've 
been 
Make me recall my days in New Jerusalem 

You know it's hot, don't forget what you've got 
Looking back 
Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back 
You know it's hot, don't forget what you've got 
Looking back 
Thinking back, thinking back, thinking back 

Thinking back, thinking back, thinking back 
(To end) 
 
 


 

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