About The Song
“In the Ghetto” is a 1969 song recorded by Elvis Presley and written by Mac Davis. The song tells the story of a poor child born in the ghetto who grows up to be a criminal and is eventually killed in a street fight. The song was a major hit released in 1969 and has since become one of Presley’s most popular songs.
The song was originally titled “The Vicious Circle” and was written by Davis in 1968. Davis was inspired to write the song after seeing a news report about a young man who had been killed in a gang shooting in Chicago. Davis said that he wanted to write a song that would “show the pain and suffering of people living in the ghetto” and that he hoped the song would “make people think about the cycle of poverty and violence that is so common in the inner city.”
Presley recorded the song in March 1969 at American Sound Studio in Memphis, Tennessee. The song was produced by Chips Moman and was released in April 1969. The song was a major hit, reaching number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 2 on the R&B chart. The song was also a critical success, with many reviewers praising Presley’s powerful vocals and the song’s poignant lyrics.
“In the Ghetto” is one of Presley’s most important and influential songs. The song has been covered by many artists, including Tupac Shakur, Michael Jackson, and Neil Young. The song has also been the subject of much discussion and debate, with some critics arguing that it is a racist and insensitive song. However, others have defended the song, arguing that it is a powerful and important statement about the social and economic problems of the inner city.
Lyrics
As the snow flies
On a cold and gray Chicago mornin'
A poor little baby child is born
In the ghetto
And his mama cries
'Cause if there's one thing that she don't need
It's another hungry mouth to feed
In the ghetto
People, don't you understand
The child needs a helping hand
Or he'll grow to be an angry young man some day
Take a look at you and me,
Are we too blind to see?
Do we simply turn our heads and look the other way?
Well, the world turns
And a hungry little boy with a runny nose
Plays in the street 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,
Steals a car,
Tries to run,
But he don't get far
And his mama cries
As a crowd gathers 'round an angry young man
Face down on the street with a gun in his hand
In the ghetto
And as her young man dies,
On a cold and gray Chicago mornin',
Another little baby child is born
In the ghetto
And his mama cries
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