Kool & the Gang — Crabs in a Barrel

Stop the jealousy We've gotta stop the envy All my brothers and my sisters We'll turn this thing around My father died when I was ten But mother never spent much time with him Papa was a rollin' stone He left eight girls and three boys Mama said, "Just trust in the Lord And follow His Golden Rule" Now I'm a professional The girls are all doing wonderful We fought our way from poverty Bought mom a house on the hill So she could have a better place to live Pay back for the life she's given me Some people in the neighborhood Say now we think we're too good 'Cause we found a better way They say that we sold out From the ghetto we got out Why, people, do you treat us this way? We're just like Crabs in a barrel, yes, we're the same You try to get out, they pull you back again Like crabs in a barrel, hear what I say It's dog-eat-dog We gotta know how to play the game There's a child prodigy, gifted from infancy Greatness was his destiny, hey He studied hard, played no ball At seven years played Carnegie Hall Broadway and overseas He read about black history Find out from which he came to be Not long ago his people were set free And every night he would pray Thank God for another day And for bringing us out of misery Some people in the neighborhood Say now we think he's too good And he's young, gifted and black They say that we sold out From the ghetto he got out Why, people, do you treat him this way? We're just like Crabs in a barrel, yes, we're the same You try to get out, they pull you back again Like crabs in a barrel, hear what I say Ah, it's dog-eat-dog Gotta know how to play the game Like crabs in a barrel, we're the same now You try to get out, they pull you back again Like crabs in a barrel, hear what I say Well, it's dog-eat-dog You gotta know how to play the game Crabs in a barrel, yes, we're the same You try to get out, they pull you back again Like crabs in a barrel, you hear what I say Well, it's dog-eat-dog You gotta know how to play the game Like crabs in a barrel, whoo! We're just like crabs in a barrel Whoo! Crabs in a barrel, yes, we're the same Try to get out All of my brothers, they gave me the ghetto All of the love that we need to be loved