As the snow flies
On a cold and gray Chicago morn'
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 little hungry mouth to feed
In the ghetto
People, can'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

While 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
A young man breaks away
He buys him 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 in the street with a gun in his hand
In the ghetto

And a young man dies
On a cold and gray Chicago morn'
Another little baby child is born
In the ghetto
And its mama cries