Cloud Nine

The childhood part of my life, it wasn't very pretty

I was born and raised in the slums of the city (yeah, yeah)

It was a one-room shack we slept in, other children beside me

And we hardly had enough food or rooms and sleep (yeah, yeah)

It was a hard time and I needed somethin' to ease my troubled mind

Ooh

My father didn't know the meaning of work

Oh, he disrespected Mama and treated us like dirt (yeah, yeah)

I left home seekin' a job that I never did find (yeah)

Depressed and downhearted, I took to cloud nine (yeah, yeah)

I'm doin' fine up here on cloud nine

I'm doin', I'm doin' fine up here on cloud nine

Folks now, now tell me

Give yourself a chance and don't let life pass you by

But the world around you is a rat race where only the strong survive

It's a dog-eat-dog world and that ain't no lie

Listen, it ain't even safe no more

To walk the streets at night

I'm doin' fine up here on cloud nine

Let me tell you about cloud nine

(You can be what you wanna be)

Cloud nine

(You ain't got no responsibility)

Every, every man is free, cloud nine

(You're a million miles from reality)

From reality, gotta stay up, up higher, up on cloud nine

I wanna say I love the life I live

And I'm gonna live the life I love up here on cloud nine

Ooh, yeah

(Cloud nine)

You're as free as a bird in flight

(Cloud nine)

There's no difference between day and night

(Cloud nine)

It's a world of love and harmony

(Cloud nine)

You're a million miles from reality

From reality, I say up, up higher, up, up higher on cloud nine

You can be what you wanna be

(Cloud nine)

You ain't got no responsibility

(Cloud nine)

Every, every man is free

(Cloud nine)

You're a million miles from reality

(Cloud nine)

Ooh, I'm doing fine, fine, fine up here on cloud nine