Rick James — Ghetto Life Live in Long Beach July 1981

[Verse 1] Listen, when I was a young boy Growing up in the ghetto Hanging out on corners Singing with the fellas Looking for the cute chicks Trying to find the big fun Looking for some trouble To anybody 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 Listen [Chorus] You wanna know what I'm talking 'bout? Talking 'bout ghetto life Ghetto life You wanna know what I'm singing 'bout? Talking 'bout ghetto life Ghetto life [Verse 2] When I was a young man Kind of free and fancy I met this little cute girl Said her name was Nancy 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 wanna go She was young and kinky In the ghetto She laid her pigtails down on me In the ghetto I was feeling oh so sneaky In the ghetto I had to see what love could be In the ghetto Listen, y'all [Bridge] I knew it all along My game was strong But I was wrong that time I knew I had to pray Give myself away Did you think I was man enough? Yeah Did you think I was bad enough? Yeah Did you think I was smart enough? Yeah Did you think that I'd work it out? [Interlude] The ghetto life Ayy, Long Beach Arena, somebody scream Oohuh-oohuh Oohuh-oohuh Oohuh-oohuh Listen [Verse 3] 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 worry It'll be there tomorrow Sister, don't you hurry [Chorus] Ghetto life Talking 'bout ghetto life Talking 'bout ghetto life Ghetto life, baby Talking 'bout ghetto life Ghetto life [Outro] Woo, where is the place you funk? Ghetto land, that's the place we funk (The place we like to funk) Say, where is the place you funk? Ghetto land, that's the place where we funk Say, where's the place you funk, Long Beach? Ghetto land that's the place where we funk Listen, where's the place you like to funk? Ghetto land, that's the place where we funk Where's the place you like to funk? Where's the place you like to funk? I knew it all along, my game was strong I knew I had to pray, give myself away Did you think I was man enough? Yeah Did you think I was strong enough? Yeah Did you think I was Black enough? Yeah Did you think that I'd work it out? Woo!