Little child, runnin' wild
Watch a while
You see he never smiles

Broken home, father gone
Mama tired, so he's all alone
Kind of sad, kind of mad
Ghetto child, thinkin' he's been had

But I can just hear him
In the back of his mind sayin'
Didn't have to be here

You didn't have to love for me
While I was just a nothin' child
Why couldn't y'all just let me be
Let me be, let me be, let me be?

Little child, runnin' wild
Watch a while
You see he never smiles

Broken home, daddy gone
Mama tired and he's all alone
Kind of sad, oh baby, kind of mad
Ghetto child, thinkin' he's been had

And I can just hear him sayin'
I didn't have to be here
You didn't have to love for me

While I was just a nothin' child
Why couldn't they just let me be
Let me be, let me be, let me be?

Ain't got no money
I got to play in the alleys, ain't got no pride
Just took everything out of me, I got it sad

Got to make it alone
Got to get away from home
There's ain't no fun, my life I just run

Run on, run on, run on ghetto child
Run on ghetto child
Run on ghetto child
Run on ghetto child

You're runnin' wild
Watch a while
You see he never smiles
Father gone, alright