DO YOU EVER EVER EVER GET TIRED OF IT???


HELL NAW!!!


Living for the City



Original Release Date : 1973
Composer : Stevie Wonder

Innervisions (7'25)

Stevie Wonder's Original Musiquarium

Natural Wonder (4'06)
Nathan Watts (Bass / Musical Director) - Rick Zunigar (Guitar) - Isaiah Sanders (Keyboards) - Herman Jackson (Keyboards) - Greg Brown (Drums) - Darryl Jackson (Percussion) - Keith John (Background Vocals) - Panzie Johnson (Background Vocals) - Marva King (Background Vocals)

At The Close Of a Century



Lyrics


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... ooh, ooh
(Repeat several times)

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!!!!

La, La, La, La, La, La,
Da Ba Da Da Da Da Da Da
Da Da Da Da Da Da
Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da
(Repeat to end)

I like it lots.

It's absolutely perfect.

I love that song so much! I used to play it over and over on my record player when I was a little girl...
I have it on my iPod now!

it's one of the funkiest sonsg ever, great lyrics/message. it's simply a masterpiece! (Innervisions is my favorite Stevie Album)

great song from a great album . stevie was on the roll back in the day.

graecophilos said:

That is my favorite as well.

I love this song.

I have always said that this along with Prince's, Sign O' The Times, tell more about what is going on in the inner city more than any hip-hop song ever written. They are just so raw and well written. It was on Stevie's that I had first heard the word "Nigger".....and as a child and even today as an adult, that part of the song makes me shake my head in disgust....Yes we have come along way....but look how far we still have to go...

definitely one of his best!!!

shorttrini said:

not often prince andd inener city get mentioned in the same sentence!

oh lawd

not often prince and inner city gets mentioned in the same sentence

my spelling is getting atrocious!

shorttrini said:

I was living in the South Bronx back then, and every time I hear this song, it takes me back to those days in the projects. It's just as powerful today as it was in 1973. Stevie was right - I do feel like I'm living for the city.