I was just a little girl
skinny legs, a press and curl
my mother always thought iand'd be a star
but way before my record deal,
the streets that nurtured lauryn hill
made sure that iand'd never go too far
every ghetto, every city and suburban place iand've been
make me recall my days in the new jerusalem
story starts at hootaville grew up next to ivy hill
when kids were stealing quartervilles for fun
andquot;kill the guyandquot; in carter park
rode a mongoose and'til itand's dark
watching kids show off the stolen ones
every ghetto, every city and suburban place iand've been
make me recall my days in new jerusalem
You know itand's hot, donand't forget what youand've got
looking back,
looking back, looking back, looking back
you know itand's hot, donand't forget what youand've got
looking back
thinking back, thinking back, thinking back
A bag of bontons, twenty cents and a nickel
springfield ave. had the best popsicles
saturday morning cartoons and kung-fu
main street roots tonic with the dreds
a beef patty and some coco bread
move the patch from my lees to the tongue of my shoe
and'member frelng-huysen used to have the bomb leather
back when doug fresh and slick rick were together
looking at the crew, we thought weand'd all live forever
You know itand's hot, donand't forget what youand've got
looking back
thinking back, thinking back, thinking back
you know itand's hot, donand't forget what youand've got
looking back
thinking back, thinking back, thinking back
Drill teams on munn street
remember when hawthorne and chancellor had beef
moving records was on central ave.
i was there at dancing school
south orange ave. at borlin pool
unaware of what we didnand't have
writing your friendsand' names on your jeans with a marker
July 4th races off of parker
fireworks at martin stadium
the untouchable p.s.p., where all them crazy niggers be
and car thieves got away through irvington
hillside brings beef with the cops
self-destruction record drops
and everybodyand's name was muslim
sensations and and'88 attracted kids from out-of-state
and everybody used to do the wop
jack, jack, jack ya body
nah, the biz mark used to amp up the party
i wish those days, they didnand't stop
every ghetto, every city and suburban place iand've been
make me recall my days in new jerusalem
You know itand's hot, donand't forget what youand've got
looking back
welcome back, welcome back, welcome back
you know itand's hot, donand't forget what youand've got
looking back
thinking back, thinking back, thinking back
Thinking back, thinking back, thinking back
(to end)