A boy's 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
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 best believe she hardly gets a penny
Living just enough, just enough for the city
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da
His toes are black, but she is shown a 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
Livin' just enough, just enough for the city
Her brother's smart, he's got more sense than many His patience long, but soon it won't happen
To find a job is like a haystack needle Cause where he lives, they don't use colored people
Livin' just enough, just enough for the city
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da
I'm livin' just enough for the city, just enough for the city
I'm livin' just enough for the city, just enough for the city
I'm livin' just enough for the city, just enough for the city
I'm livin' just enough for the city, just enough for the city
I'm livin' just enough for the city, just enough for the city
I'm livin' just enough for the city, just enough for the city
His hair is long, his feet are hard and pretty
He spends his life walkin' the streets of New York City
He's almost dead from breathin' in air pollution
He tried to fight but to him that's not solution
Livin' in just enough, just enough for the city
I hope you hear inside my voice the sorrow
And that love that made you to think about tomorrow
This past is cruel, no time to be much colder
If we don't change, the world will soon be over
Livin' just enough, stop givin' just enough for the city
Hey!
Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no