The childhood part of my life wasn't very pretty, see I was born and raised in the slums of the city It was a one-room shack that slept ten other children beside me We hardly enough food or room to sleep It was hard times I needed somethin' to ease my troubled mind Listen! My father didn't know the meaning of work He disrespected mama and treated us like dirt I left home seeking a job that I never did find The pressure came down hard and I took to cloud nine I'm doing fine (up here!) on cloud nine Listen, one more time I'm doing fine (up here!) on cloud nine Folks down there tell me! They say give yourself a chance and don't let life pass you by But the world in reality is a rat race where only the strongest survive It's a dog-eat-dog world and that ain't no lie (ain't no lie) It ain't even safe no more to walk the streets at night I'm doing fine on cloud nine Let me tell 'bout cloud nine Cloud nine You can be what you want to be Cloud nine You ain't got no responsibility Cloud nine And every man, every man is free Cloud nine You're a million miles from reality (reality) Cloud nine I wanna' say I love the life I live And I'm going to live the life I love Or be on cloud nine I, I, I, I, I, I'm ridin' high On cloud nine You're as free as a burning flame 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 (reality) Cloud nine You can be what you want to be, ah Cloud nine You ain't got no responsibility Cloud nine Every man in his mind is free Cloud nine You're a million miles from reality Cloud nine You can be what you want to be I'm doing fine on cloud nine