I was just a little girl

Skinny legs, a press and curl

My mother always thought I'd be a star

But way before my record deal,

The streets that nurtured Lauryn Hill

Made sure that I'd never go too far

Every ghetto, every city and suburban place I'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

"Kill the guy" in Carter park

Rode a Mongoose 'til it's dark

Watching kids show off the stolen ones

Every ghetto, every city and suburban place I've been

Make me recall my days in New Jerusalem



You know it's hot, don't forget what you've got

Looking back,

Looking back, looking back, looking back

You know it's hot, don't forget what you'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

'Member Frelng-Huysen used to have the bomb leather

Back when Doug Fresh and Slick Rick were together

Looking at the crew, we thought we'd all live forever



You know it's hot, don't forget what you've got

Looking back

Thinking back, thinking back, thinking back

You know it's hot, don't forget what you'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 didn't have

Writing your friends' 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 everybody's name was Muslim

Sensations 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 didn't stop

Every ghetto, every city and suburban place I've been

Make me recall my days in New Jerusalem



You know it's hot, don't forget what you've got

Looking back

Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back

You know it's hot, don't forget what you've got

Looking back

Thinking back, thinking back, thinking back



Thinking back, thinking back, thinking back

[To end]