Written by Natalie Cole



(Hoo, hoo, hoo) Mmm (hoo, hoo, hoo)



Growing up wasn't easy for Annie Mae



(Hoo, hoo, hoo)



A little girl in a great big world



Annie Mae (hoo, hoo, hoo)



No one knew about her past



Some people swore she'd never last



She was (growing up much too fast)



Growing (hoo, hoo, hoo)



Just a little too fast (hoo, hoo, hoo)



Never had her a Mama, no, no



Annie Mae (hoo, hoo, hoo)



Rarely heard a kind spoken word



Annie Mae (hoo, hoo, hoo)



Looking at life through an empty shell



And all the time she's catching hell



She was growing



(Growing up much too fast) up much too fast



Does anybody know where is Annie Mae today



Where oh where is Annie Mae



All you got to do is look into the faces of



All the young girls



On the avenue--(young girls!)



Oh, well, (hoo, hoo, hoo) ha



In the night hear her cry, Annie Mae (hoo, hoo, hoo)



Hurt and pain keeps coming again



And again, and again, Annie Mae (hoo, hoo, hoo)



Trippin' and runnin' is blowin' her mind



Tryin' to decide if she'll make it this time



She was (growing up) oh, yeah (much too fast)



She was (growing up much too fast)



Somebody got to stop her, oh Annie, Annie



(Ooh) (hoo, hoo, hoo) (where is Annie Mae)



Annie, Annie



Somebody



(Ooh) (hoo, hoo, hoo) (where is Annie Mae)



got to stop her, oh, Annie, Annie,



(Ooh) (hoo, hoo, hoo) (where is Annie Mae)



Annie, Annie



She's runnin', she's runnin'



Growin' up too fast, oh, oh



(She's running') oh, oh



Growin' up too fast, oh, oh



(She's runnin') oh, oh



Growin' up too fast, oh, hey



(She's runnin') Annie, Annie Mae, yeah



(She's running) Where you goin' Annie



(She's runnin') Don't you think somebody aught to stop you



(She's runnin') Somebody aught to stop you



(She's runnin') Don't you think I'm gonna try to stop you