You read it in the magazines, when someone makes it big.
They always thank their families for everything they did.
They say they were encouraged to believe in themselves.
But what about the rest of us, with the families from hell?

Yeah, there's a lot of us, who've got the same dreams
as those kids from the families in the magazines.
Ours was a different world, to say the least--
I saw less of my father than I did the police.

Chorus
But if you hear me singing under the street night
I'll be weaving sweet music from the threads of my nights
When I'm weary and lonely, and my troubles run deep,
I take comfort from my music-- it's a comfort I can keep.

No, we never got the message that we were even OK.
It was more like we were garbage that they couldn't throw away.
Music was survival for my soul, oh it made me feel so good!
You could always find me singing, in my corner of the 'hood.

Chorus
Now if you hear us singing under the street light,
we'll be weaving our harmonies from the threads of our nights.
When you're weary and lonely, and your troubles run deep,
come and listen to the music, turn your bitter into sweet.

So our parents didn't know much about lovin' their kids,
but what they couldn't give us, well the music sure did!
It gave us all something that we could hold on to,
I still believe in music, yeah, it still sees me through.

Chorus
If I hear you singing under the street light
I know you won't mind at all, if I sing along tonight.
'Cause we've both been down that lonesome road,
and we know the same songs
I know that I am welcome in the circle of your song.

Yeah, if you hear us singing under the street light,
come, add your harmony, from the colors of your nights.
In the circle of the music, everyone belongs,
There's a place for you right here, come on in and sing along,
There's a place for everybody in the circle of the song!