A boy is born in hard time mississippi

Surrounded by four walls that ain’t so pretty

His parents give him love and affection

To keep him strong moving in the right direction

Living just enough just enough for the city ee ha

His father works some days for fourteen hours

And you can bet he barely makes a dollar

His mother goes to scrub the floors for many

And you’d best believe she hardly gets a penny

Living just enough just enough for the city yeah

His sister’s black but she is sho’nuff pretty

Her skirt is short but lord her legs are sturdy

To walk to school she’s got to get up early

Her clothes are old but never are they dirty

Living just enough just enough for the city um hum

Her brother’s smart he’s got more sense than many

His patience’s long but soon he won’t have any

To find a job is like a haystack needle

Cause where he lives they don’t use colored people

Living just enough just enough for the city

Living just enough For the city

His hair is long his feet are hard and gritty

He spends his life walking the streets of new york city

He’s almost dead from breathing in air pollution

He tried to vote but to him there’s no solution

Living just enough just enough for the city

Yeah yeah yeah

I hope you hear inside my voice of sorrow

And that it motivates you to make a better tomorrow

This place is cruel no where could be much colder

If we don’t change the world will soon be over

Living just enough stop giving just enough for the city