I was born in Chicago at nineteen and forty-one   I was born in Chicago at nineteen and forty-one   Well, my father told me   "Son, you had better get a gun"      Well, my first friend went down   When I was 17 years old   Well, my first friend went down   When I was 17 years old      Well, there's one thing I can say about that boy   He gotta go      Well, my second friend went down   When I was 21 years of age   Well, my second friend went down   When I was 21 years of age      Well, there's one thing I can say about that boy   He gotta pray      Well, now rules are alright   If there's someone left to play the game   Well, now rules are alright   If there's someone left to play the game      All my friends are going   And thing's just don't seem the same   Oh, thing's just don't seem the same, babe