Little boy, standin' on the corner
Somebody please, somebody please lend a helpin’ hand
He said "I'm just a ghetto child
In this so-called, in this so-called free land"

Somebody please
Won't you, won’t you give me a dime?
My mama, she in the bed almost dyin'
And I ain't see my daddy in a long, long time

He said "I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, y'all know I know, I know
That I ought to, I ought to be in school
I went to school one mornin' and the teacher said "When you come back, son, try to have on some shoes"

Somebody, Lord help me
Oh, somebody, somebody
Somebody help the little ghetto child
I'm here in the world all by myself

Somebody, somebody, somebody, somebody
Somebody please lend me a helpin' hand right now
Oh, I'm lost