Edwin Starr — Cloud Nine

I'd like to tell you a story about me and my family And the neighborhood in which I was raised I chose to do this particular number because It describes my childhood to a tee, you see Childhood part of my life wasn't very pretty See, I was born and raised in the slums of the city, huh It was a one room shack we slept in, other children beside me We hardly had enough food or room to sleep Hard times, my, my, my Let me tell you 'bout my papa My father didn't know the meaning of work He disrespected mama, oh yes he did I left home seekin' a job that I never did find Depressed and down-hearted, I took to Cloud Nine I'm doing fine Up here on Cloud Nine Do-dang-dang-dang-dang-dang-a-dooga-dang Fine, on Cloud Nine Folks down there tell me, said Give yourself a chance, son, don't let life pass you by But the world of reality's a rat race Where only the strong survive It's a dog-eat-dog world and that ain't no lie Listen, it ain't even safe no more, to walk the streets at night I'm doing fine, fine, fine, up here on Cloud Nine Let me tell you about cloud nine (Cloud Nine) (Cloud Nine, cloud Nine, cloud Nine) Up, up, up, up and away (Cloud Nine) I wanna say I love the life I live And I'm gonna live the life I love Up here on Cloud 9 (Cloud Nine) You're as free as a bird in flight (Cloud 9) There's no difference between day and night (Cloud 9) And it's a world of love and harmony (Cloud 9) You're a million miles from reality Up, up, up and away I wanna take you (Higher), oh, (higher) Got to take you (Higher), oh, (higher) (Cloud 9) You can be what you wanna be (Cloud 9) And you ain't got no responsibility (Cloud 9) Every man, every man is free (Cloud 9) You're a million miles from reality (I wanna take you higher)