Lyrics: Cloud Nine

(Norman Whitfield/Barrett Strong)

The childhood part of my life wasn't very pretty
You see, I was born and raised in the slums of the city
It was a one-room shack we slept in, the children beside me
We hardly had enough food or rooms
It was a hard time
Needed somethin' to ease my troubled mind.

Ooooh listen
Father didn't know the meaning of work
He disrespected Mama and treated her slightly
I left home seekin' a job that I never did find
The first thing, downhearted, I took to Cloud 9

I'm doin' fine up here on Cloud 9
Listen, one more time
I'm doin' fine up here on Cloud 9

Folks now tell me
They say, "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
It ain't even safe no more
To walk the streets at night

I'm doin' fine on Cloud 9
Let me tell you about Cloud 9
(Cloud 9) You can be what you wanna be
(Cloud 9) You ain't got no responsibility
(Cloud 9) Yeah, every man, every man is free
(Cloud 9) You're a million miles from reality
(Reality) I wanna say (up) higher (up up and away)
Cloud 9

I wanna say I love the life I live
And I'm gonna live the life I love
Up here on Cloud 9
Uh uh uh uh, I'm ridin' high on Cloud 9

You're as free as a bird in flight
(Cloud 9) There's no diff'rence 'tween day and night
(Cloud 9) It's a world of love and harmony
(Cloud 9) You're a million miles from reality
(Reality) I wanna say (up) higher (up up and away)

(Cloud 9) You can be what you wanna be
(Cloud 9) You ain't got no responsibility
(Cloud 9) Every man in his mind is free
(Cloud 9) You're a million miles from reality
(Cloud 9) You can be what you wanna be...