By ed sanford and michael mcdonald

He was born on the wrong side
Where hopelessness breeds
Where pride is hard to come by
And violence fills a need

Lord, what can the future be
Lookin' from his point of view
'cause here on these desperate streets
Better a short lived legend
Then a long life played for a fool

Homeboy wants to rule the hot town
And the innocent will fall
When the santa ana blows across the killin' ground
It sweeps away what mercy
Is left to be found

A child on a corner
An instrument of greed
Seduced before knowing
The harsh reality

Lord, what will the answer be
Is there nothing we can do
To save him on these desperate streets
Better a long life of tryin'
Than a short life playin' to lose