[Verse 1]
A boy is born in hard time Mississippi
Surrounded by four walls that ain't so pretty
His parents give him love and affection
To keep him strong and movin' in the right direction
Livin' just enough, just enough for the city

[Verse 2]
His father works some days for fourteen hours
And you can believe that he barely makes a dollar
His mother goes to scrub floors for many
And you can bet that she hardly makes a penny
They're livin' just enough, just enough for the city, yeah

[Verse 3]
His sister is black, but she is sho 'nuff pretty
And her skirt is short, Lord knows her legs are sturdy
And to walk to school she's got to get up early
Her clothes are old, but they are never ever dirty
They're livin' just enough, just enough for the city

[Verse 4]
Her brother is smart, he's got more sense than many
His patience is long, but soon he won't have any
'Cause to find a job is like a haystack needle
'Cause where he lives they don't use colored people
They're livin' just enough, just enough for the city
Oh, ah, unchain, yeah!
[Outro]
Oh, they're livin' just enough
'Cause they ain't got enough
Before they start
Ain't got no start
Livin' in a little one-room country shack
But it's the home
The only home they'll ever know
One day, somebody's gonna come along
Gonna take them children straight on home
Oh, yeah!
All they got
Is just enough
Sometimes they don't eat enough
They can't live enough
They ain't hardly got no pulls on their back
Ain't no covers on their bed
Hardly a roof over their head