[Verse 1: Rick James]
When I was a young boy
Growing up in the ghetto
Hanging out on corners
Singin' with the fellas
Lookin' for the cute chicks
Trying to find the big fun
Looking for some trouble
Or anyone who'll give me some
I was young and crazy
In the ghetto
Didn't know what my life would be
In the ghetto
I was dumb and oh so lazy
In the ghetto
Something had a spell on me
In the ghetto
[Chorus: Rick James]
You wanna know what I'm talking 'bout?
Talkin' 'bout ghetto life
Ghetto Liiiiiiiiiiiife
You wanna know what I'm singin' 'bout?
Talkin' 'bout ghetto life
Ghetto Liiiiiiiiiiiife
[Verse 2: Rick James]
When I was a young man
Kind of free and fancy
Met this little cute girl
She said her name was Nancy
She had pigtails to her shoulders
She couldn't have been much older
She taught me what I had to know
To make a girl not want to go
She was young and kinky
In the ghetto
She laid her pigtails down on me
In the ghetto
And I was feeling oh so sneaky
In the ghetto
I had to see what love could be
In the ghetto
Listen
[Bridge: Rick James]
I knew it all along
That my game was strong
But I was wrong that time
I knew I had to pray
And give myself away
Did you think I was man enough?
Yeah
Did you think I was smart enough?
Yeah
Did you think I was strong enough?
Yeah
Did you think I'd work it out?
The ghetto life
[Chorus: Rick James]
Sing it 'til you feel it when you say
Talkin 'bout ghetto life
You got to get on over
Talking 'bout ghetto life
Ghetto life
[Verse 3: Rick James]
When I was a young boy
Tenements, slums and corner bums
Playing tag with winos
The only way to have some fun
One thing 'bout the ghetto
You don't have to hurry
It'll be there tomorrow
So brother don't you worry
[Chorus: Rick James]
Ghetto life
Talking 'bout ghetto life
Talking 'bout Ghetto Liiiiiiiiife
Ghetto life, baby
Talkin' 'bout ghetto life
Life
Life
Ghetto life
Talking 'bout ghetto life
Life
[Outro: Rick James]
Shoop shoop shoop shoop, shoop be doop in the ghetto
People we got to get over
Shoop shoop shoop shoop, shoop be doop in the ghetto
Talkin' 'bout the life
Shoop shoop shoop shoop, shoop be doop in the ghetto
Life
Where's the place we funk?
Ghetto land, that's the place we funk
(The place we like to funk)
Ghetto land, that's the place where we funk
Say where the place we funk
Ghetto land that's the place where we funk
(The place we like to funk)
Ghetto land, that's the place where we funk
Ho!
(The place we like to funk)
That's the place we like to funk
Ghetto land, we like to funk
(The place we like to funk)
Where's the place we like to funk?
Ghetto land, that's the place
Where we funk from day to day
Ghetto land, ghetto land
Ghetto land, that's the place
Where we funk from day to day
Ghetto land