Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds – In The Ghetto

(M. Davies)

As the snow flies

On a cold and grey Chicago morn

A poor little baby child is born in the ghetto

And his mama cries

Cause there’s one thing that she don’t need

Is another little hungry mouth to feed in the ghetto

Oh people don’t you understand

This child needs a helping hand

He’s gonna grow to be an angry young man some day

Take a look at you and me

Are we that blind to see?

Do we simply turn our heads and look the other way?

And the world turns

And the hungry little boy with the runny nose

Plays in the streets as the cold wind blows in the ghetto

And his hunger burns

So he starts to roam the streets at night

And he learns how to steal and he learns how to fight in the ghetto

Then one night in desperation

The young man breaks away

He buys a gun and steals a car

He tries to run but he don’t get far

And his mama cries

A crowd gathers round an angry young man

Face down in the street with a gun in his hand in the ghetto

Oh people don’t you understand

This child needs a helping hand

He’s gonna grow to be an angry young man some day

Take a look at you and me

Are we that blind to see?

Do we simply turn our heads and look the other way?

And as her young man dies

On a cold and grey Chicago morn

Another little baby child is born in the ghetto