I was just a little girl (little girl) | Ero solo una ragazzina
Skinny legs, a press and curl (a press and curl) | Gambe magre e capelli allisciati
My mother always thought I’d be a star (my mother always thought I’d be a star) | La mia mamma ha sempre pensato che sarei diventata famosa
But way before the record deals | ma molto prima dei contratti discografici
Streets that nurtured Lauryn Hill (uh-huh) | le strade che hanno nutrito Lauryn Hill
Made sure that I’d never go too far (well, what up? Yeah) |Ci hanno pensato loro a fare in modo che non potessi andare troppo lontano (ebbè?)

Every ghetto, every city | Ogni ghetto, ogni città
And suburban place I been | ogni periferia dove sono stata
Make me recall my days | mi riporta alla mente i miei tempi
In New Jerusalem (you know, uh-huh) | nella Nuova Gerusalemme

Story starts in Hoodaville (Hoodaville) | La storia comincia a Hoodaville
Grew up next to Ivy Hill | Crescendo accanto a Ivy Hill
When kids were stealing quartervilles for fun | Quandro i ragazzini rubavano le quarterville per divertirsi
“Kill the Guy” in Carter Park (uh) | “Ammazzate quel tipo” a Carter Park
Rode a Mongoose ‘til it’s dark | a cavallo di un Mongoose fino al calar del sole
Watching kids show off the stolen ones | Guardando i ragazzi che si vantavano di quelli rubati

Every ghetto, every city
And suburban place I’ve been
Make me recall my days
In the New Jerusalem

You know it’s hot, don’t forget what you got | Lo sai che è tosta, non scordarti di ciò che hai
Looking back, looking back, looking back, looking back | Guardandosi indietro
You know it’s hot, don’t forget what you got
Looking back, looking back, looking back, looking back

Bag of Bontons, twenty cents and a nickel (well, that’s a quarter) | Una busta di Bontons, venti cent e un nichelino (che sarebbe un quarto di dollaro)
Springfield Ave had the best popsicles | In Springfield Avenue c’erano i ghiaccioli migliori
Saturday morning cartoons and Kung-Fu (ooh-tah!) | Il sabato mattina cartoni e kung-fu (uuu-tah!)
Main Street roots tonic with the dreads | Main Street roots tonic con i drea [Ndt…chi ci capisce di più può scrivere a micalosapevo@pibinko.org]
A beef patty and some coco bread | Una polpetta di manzo e un po’ di pane di cocco
Move the patch from my Lee’s to the tongue of my shoes | Spostando le pezze dai miei Lee alla linguetta delle scarpe

‘Member Frelinghuysen used to have the bomb leather? | Ti ricordi di quando Frelinghuysen portava il bomber?
Back when Doug Fresh and Slick Rick was together | Quando Doug Fresh e Slick Rick stavano insieme
Looking at the crew, we thought we’d all live forever | Guardando la combriccola, pensavamo di vivere per sempre

You know it’s hot, don’t forget what you got (you know it’s hot)
Looking back, looking back, looking back, looking back
You know it’s hot, don’t forget what you got (you know it’s hot)
Looking back, looking back, looking back, looking back

Drill teams on Munn Street | I gruppi che si esercitavano su Munn Street
‘Member when Hawthorne and Chancellor had beef | Ti ricordi di quando Hawthorne e Chancellor litigavano
Moving Records was on Central Ave | Moving Records era nella Central Avenue
I was there at dancing school (dancing school) | Io ero lì alla scuola di danza
South Orange Ave at Borlin pool (uh-huh) | Nella South Orange Avenue alla Borlin Pool
Unaware of what we didn’t have | Senza sapere quello che non avevamo

Writing my friends’ names on my jeans with a marker | Scrivevo i nomi degli amici sui miei jeans con un pennarello
July 4th races outside Parker | Le corse fuori dal Parker il 4 di luglio
Fireworks at Martin Stadium (oh, word, my love) | I fuochi d’artificio al Martin Stadium (il mio amore, ragazzi)
The Untouchable PSP | L’intoccabile PSP
Where all them crazy niggas be | Dove trovavi tutti quei tipi fuori di testa
The car thief got away through Irvington (lock it up, uh, uh) | Il ladro di auto che scappò attraverso Irvington (arrestatelo, eh)

Hillside brings beef with the cops | Hillside porta a discussioni con la polizia
Self-destruction, record drops | Autodistruzione, meno dischi
And everybody’s name was Muslim (children playing, women producing) | E tutti si chiamavano Muslim (ragazzi che giocano, donne che producono)
Sensations in ’88 | Nel 1988 I Sensations
Attracted kids from out of state | Fecero venire i giovani dagli altri stati
And everybody used to do the wop (wop it out, wop it out, wop it out) | E tutti si misero a fare il doo wop (via lo wop)

Jack ya, jack ya, jack ya body | Sbattiti, dimenati [NdT “to jack” è un tipo di ballo da house music, vedi questo esempio]
Nah, the BizMark used to amp up the party | Dai, era il BizMark che faceva saltare per aria la festa
I wish those days, they didn’t stop | Come vorrei che quei giorni non fossero finiti
(I wish those days, they didn’t stop)

Every ghetto, every city
And suburban place I’ve been
Make me recall my days
In New Jerusalem (every city)

You know it’s hot, don’t forget what you got
Looking back, looking back, looking back, looking back
You know it’s hot, don’t forget what you got (you know it’s hot)
Looking back, looking back, looking back, looking back

You know it’s hot
Don’t forget what you got (you know it’s hot)
Looking back, looking back, looking back, looking back
Looking back, looking back, looking back, yeah

Looking back, looking back, looking back
Looking back, looking back, looking back
Looking back, looking back, looking back
Looking back, looking back, looking back