Born and bred in the dungeon, ain't it something
I've been fed in abundance pain and suffering
Just when you thought that you were getting on out
On my knees begging, hoping you light this fire
The fifth borough, late night on the corner, mob ties, everybody's gotta line of order
Wu-Tang shout when the party jump off
Staten Island struggle on the bridge bodies jump off
It's a whole new world. Everybody see the pain, little boy, little girl
Sunday dinner, old school thinker, everybody know the code when the feds linger
It's the land of broken dreams, where the hopeless hide and the strong survive whoa
I've been waiting all to long seeing mama cry, it's like it's on my life whoa
Born and bred in the dungeon, ain't it something
I've been fed in abundance pain and suffering
Just when you thought that you were getting on out
On my knees begging, hoping you light this fire
Ooh tell me where you get a better slice
Where you get a piece of the pie that's realer than the apple
The last borough to hold the yuppies off, when you mingle with the people then you feel the old New York
Jesus Christ, will You save this island
I stopped counting how many kids I grew up with are dead forever or dads locked up in penitentiaries doing dimes or better
It's the land of broken dreams, where the hopeless hide and the strong survive whoa
I've been waiting all to long seeing mama cry, it's like it's on my life whoa
Born and bred in the dungeon, ain't it something
I've been fed in abundance pain and suffering
Just when you thought that you were getting on out
On my knees begging, hoping you light this fire