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
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 stealin' quartervilles for fun
Kill the guy in Carter Park
Rode a mongoose 'til it's dark
Watchin' 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
Lookin' back, lookin' back, lookin' back, lookin' back
You know it's hot, don't forget what you've got
Lookin' back, lookin' back, lookin' back, lookin' back

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 was together
Lookin' at the crew, we thought we'd all live forever

You know it's hot, don't forget what you've got
Lookin' back, lookin' back, lookin' back, lookin' back
You know it's hot, don't forget what you've got
Lookin' back, lookin' back, lookin' back, lookin' back

Drill teams on Munn Street
Remember when Hawthorne and Chancellor had beef
Movin' Records was on Central Ave.
I was there at dancing school
South Orange Ave. at Borlin' Pool
Unaware of what we didn't have

Writin' my friends' names on my jeans with a marker
July 4th races outside of Parker
Fireworks at Martin Stadium
The Untouchable P.S.P. where all them crazy nigga be
And car thieves got away through Irvington

Hillside brings beef with the cops
Self-Destruction record drops
And everybody's name was Muslim
Children grow and women produce and

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
Lookin' back, lookin' back, lookin' back, lookin' back
You know it's hot, don't forget what you've got
Lookin' back, lookin' back, lookin' back, lookin' back

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

Lookin' back, lookin' back, lookin' back
Lookin' back, lookin' back, lookin' back
Lookin' back, lookin' back, lookin' back
Lookin' back, lookin' back, lookin' back
Lookin' back, lookin' back, lookin' back