Childhood part of my life, it wasn't very pretty

I was born and raised in the slums of the city

It was a one room shack that slept ten other children

We hardly had enough food or room to sleep

It was hard times (Hard times, hard times)

Needed something to ease my troubled mind

My father didn't know the meaning of work

He disrespected mama, and treated us like dirt

I left home, seekin' a job that I never did find

Depressed and downhearted I took to cloud nine

I'm doin' fine, on cloud nine

I'm doin' fine, on cloud nine

Folks now tell me "Give yourself a chance son, don't let life pass you by"

But the world of reality is a rat race where only the strongest survive

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

It ain't even safe no more to walk the streets at night

I'm doin' fine, on cloud nine

You can be what you wanna be (Cloud nine)

You ain't got no responsibility (Cloud nine)

And ev'ry, ev'ry man is free (Cloud nine)

And you're a million miles from reality (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 (Cloud nine)

You're as free as a bird in flight (Cloud nine)

There's no diff'rence between day and night (Cloud nine)

It's a world of love and harmony

You're a million miles from reality

(Cloud nine)

You can be what you wanna be (Cloud Nine)

You ain't got no responsibility

And ev'ry man, ev'ry man is free (Cloud Nine)

And you're a million miles from reality

(Cloud nine) (Cloud nine) (Cloud nine)