You know, I was in New York City a few months ago. And the garbage and the trashmen were on strike I'm tellin', the maintenance people of the city? What they were tryin' to do was, they were tryin' to get a little more money, you know, get a little raise in pay? But that particular time the city was broke. They were about ready to declare default.
I tell you, the garbage in some places was stacked up two, three stories high. At night - haha... boy, at night it weren't even safe to walk the street 'cause, you see, the rats the roaches and the waterbugs? I mean they was hustlin', baby, tryin' to get somethin' to eat. And let me tell you somethin'; it was stinkin' woman, it was all kind of diseases in there, you know? But it only brought to mind the fact that you can no longer depend on the man downtown to take care of business like he's supposed to when he's supposed to.
If all of us would get it like it's supposed to be as far as cleanliness, you know, and safety..? Yeah, we gotta get together and do it for ourselves, that's the only way it's gonna be done. And you know what I'm talkin' about? Let me tell you what I mean.
Clean it up, clean it up (Well, y'all)
Clean it up, clean it up (You gotta get it)
Clean it up, clean it up (Yes, gonna get it)
Clean it up, clean it up
Ghetto!
Talkin' 'bout the ghetto!
Ghetto is our home
That's where we live, where we live
Get some paint, fetch your hammer, your nails
If you broomed, you mop and you pails
We're gonna wash it, polish
And make it all clean
Let's wash away all of the sins
Time for a new life to begin
In the ghetto
I said (Clean it up, clean it up)
I said we're gonna (Clean it up, clean it up)
Because the (Ghetto)
I said the (Ghetto)
(Ghetto is our home)
That's where we live, where we live
Let's paint the signs everybody can read
Let's get rid of everything we don't need
Pushers, the dealers
The pot, crook, s*****ers and thieves, aha
Let's make the streets safe for women to walk
Let's get rid of all the faul talk
We gonna do it
And all of us shall survive
I said we're gonna (Clean it up, clean it up) Do it
We got to (Clean it up, clean it up) Hey!
(Ghetto) Said the ghetto
(Ghetto is our home)
That's where we live from day to day
(Where we live, where we live)
All of your brothers that live on the mainline
You lived in the ghetto once upon a time
We need everybody to lend a hand
No you've helped everybody else
Now's the time for you to help yourself
We can't depend, depend on the people, no, no
Well, well, get it up, get it up
Clean it up, clean it up (Well, well, ya)
Clean it up, clean it up (Hey, hey, hey)
Ghetto, ghetto
Ghetto is our home
Yeah, that's where we live, where we live
I said (Clean it up, clean it up)
(Come on, y'all, let's clean it up, clean it up)
(Come on, y'all, let's clean it up, clean it up)
(Come on, y'all, let's clean it up, clean it up)
(Come on, y'all, let's clean it up, clean it up)
(Come on, y'all, let's clean it up, clean it up)
I said (Come on, y'all, let's clean it up, clean it up)
(Come on, y'all, let's clean it up, clean it up)
(Come on, y'all, let's clean it up, clean it up)
(Come on, y'all, let's clean it up, clean it up)
(Come on, y'all, let's clean it up, clean it up)
(Come on, y'all, let's clean it up, clean it up)
(Come on, y'all, let's clean it up, clean it up)
(Come on, y'all, let's clean it up, clean it up)
(Come on, y'all, let's clean it up, clean it up)
(Come on, y'all, let's clean it up, clean it up)
(Come on, y'all, let's clean it up, clean it up)
I tell you, the garbage in some places was stacked up two, three stories high. At night - haha... boy, at night it weren't even safe to walk the street 'cause, you see, the rats the roaches and the waterbugs? I mean they was hustlin', baby, tryin' to get somethin' to eat. And let me tell you somethin'; it was stinkin' woman, it was all kind of diseases in there, you know? But it only brought to mind the fact that you can no longer depend on the man downtown to take care of business like he's supposed to when he's supposed to.
If all of us would get it like it's supposed to be as far as cleanliness, you know, and safety..? Yeah, we gotta get together and do it for ourselves, that's the only way it's gonna be done. And you know what I'm talkin' about? Let me tell you what I mean.
Clean it up, clean it up (Well, y'all)
Clean it up, clean it up (You gotta get it)
Clean it up, clean it up (Yes, gonna get it)
Clean it up, clean it up
Ghetto!
Talkin' 'bout the ghetto!
Ghetto is our home
That's where we live, where we live
Get some paint, fetch your hammer, your nails
If you broomed, you mop and you pails
We're gonna wash it, polish
And make it all clean
Let's wash away all of the sins
Time for a new life to begin
In the ghetto
I said (Clean it up, clean it up)
I said we're gonna (Clean it up, clean it up)
Because the (Ghetto)
I said the (Ghetto)
(Ghetto is our home)
That's where we live, where we live
Let's paint the signs everybody can read
Let's get rid of everything we don't need
Pushers, the dealers
The pot, crook, s*****ers and thieves, aha
Let's make the streets safe for women to walk
Let's get rid of all the faul talk
We gonna do it
And all of us shall survive
I said we're gonna (Clean it up, clean it up) Do it
We got to (Clean it up, clean it up) Hey!
(Ghetto) Said the ghetto
(Ghetto is our home)
That's where we live from day to day
(Where we live, where we live)
All of your brothers that live on the mainline
You lived in the ghetto once upon a time
We need everybody to lend a hand
No you've helped everybody else
Now's the time for you to help yourself
We can't depend, depend on the people, no, no
Well, well, get it up, get it up
Clean it up, clean it up (Well, well, ya)
Clean it up, clean it up (Hey, hey, hey)
Ghetto, ghetto
Ghetto is our home
Yeah, that's where we live, where we live
I said (Clean it up, clean it up)
(Come on, y'all, let's clean it up, clean it up)
(Come on, y'all, let's clean it up, clean it up)
(Come on, y'all, let's clean it up, clean it up)
(Come on, y'all, let's clean it up, clean it up)
(Come on, y'all, let's clean it up, clean it up)
I said (Come on, y'all, let's clean it up, clean it up)
(Come on, y'all, let's clean it up, clean it up)
(Come on, y'all, let's clean it up, clean it up)
(Come on, y'all, let's clean it up, clean it up)
(Come on, y'all, let's clean it up, clean it up)
(Come on, y'all, let's clean it up, clean it up)
(Come on, y'all, let's clean it up, clean it up)
(Come on, y'all, let's clean it up, clean it up)
(Come on, y'all, let's clean it up, clean it up)
(Come on, y'all, let's clean it up, clean it up)
(Come on, y'all, let's clean it up, clean it up)