Woman of the Ghetto

I was born, raised in a ghetto I was born and raised in a ghetto I'm a woman, of the ghetto Won't you listen, won't you listen to me, legislator How do you raise your kids in a ghetto How do you raise your kids in a ghetto Do you feed one child and starve another Won't you tell me, legislator Enthralled through I know that my eyes ain't blue But you see I'm a woman Of the ghetto I'm proud, free Black, that is me But I'm a woman of the ghetto How does your heart feel late at night How does your heart feel late at night Does it beat with shame, or does it beat with pride Won't you tell me, legislator Puts me in the mind of Come and cross the water in a boat Chained, tied, together They said, no, no, they're really not man, and women Just chain 'em up, tie 'em up, chain 'em up, tie 'em up Chain 'em up, tie 'em up, work, work, work There's where the movement came from Say no, no My children learned just the same as yours As long as nobody tries to close the door They cry with pain when the knife cuts deep They even close their eyes when they wanna sleep Now peace, you say Is all that you ask But self-respect is a separate task You may be sitting up there In your ivory tower 60 stories tall I know that you may have checked out at least one ghetto But I wonder have you lived there at all Places like watts, Ah, holland, tell me Chicago, ah tell me Washington got some too I have been up on the mountains, I And I'm free at last I say I'm free at last I've seen the children dying And I've been one of the mothers who was crying I am a woman I am a woman I am a woman, yes I I said that I am I mean that I am I'm the woman, I'm the woman I'm the woman of the ghetto Strong, true A woman A woman You can walk through the streets of the ghetto at night Whole lotta pretty, some ugly sites Along comes the sleek limousine Say hey baby I got ten Look at me, I'm clean So she takes a little dope What the hell everybody got to go I got a baby I got a baby I got a baby I want to feed And I'm not really giving it all Up, just a little ten-cent piece or two Ah, the black woman But I ain't gonna raise your babies no more I got a few on my own I wanna keep strolling I say I am a woman I am I I am I am Remember me I'm the one who had your babies, I I am I am I am a woman Of the ghetto Woman I'm a woman, yeah yeah yeah Just a woman