| A boy is born in hard time Mississippi
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| Surrounded by four walls that ain’t so pretty
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| His parents give him love and affection
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| To keep him strong moving in the right direction
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| Living just enough, just enough for the city… ee ha!
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| His father works some days for fourteen hours
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| And you can bet he barely makes a dollar
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| His mother goes to scrub the floors for many
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| And you’d best believe she hardly gets a penny
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| Living just enough, just enough for the city… yeah!
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| His sister’s black but she is sho’nuff pretty
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| Her skirt is short but Lord her legs are sturdy
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| To walk to school she’s got to get up early
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| Her clothes are old but never are they dirty
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| Living just enough, just enough for the city… um hum
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| Her brother’s smart he’s got more sense than many
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| His patience’s long but soon he won’t have any
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| To find a job is like a haystack needle
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| Cause where he lives they don’t use colored people
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| Living just enough, just enough for the city…
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| Living just enough…
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| For the city… ooh, ooh
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| (Repeat several times)
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| His hair is long, his feet are hard and gritty
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| He spends his life walking the streets of New York City
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| He’s almost dead from breathing in air pollution
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| He tried to vote but to him there’s no solution
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| Living just enough, just enough for the city… v yeah, yeah, yeah!
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| I hope you hear inside my voice of sorrow
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| And that it motivates you to make a better tomorrow
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| This place is cruel no where could be much colder
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| If we don’t change the world will soon be over
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| Living just enough, stop giving just enough for the city!!!
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| La, La, La, La, La, La,
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| Da Ba Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da
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| (Repeat to end) |