(Norman WhitfieldBarrett Strong)

The childhood part of my life wasn't very pretty

You see, I was born and raised in the slums of the city

It was a one-room shack we slept in, the children beside me

We hardly had enough food or rooms

It was a hard time

Needed somethin' to ease my troubled mind.



Ooooh listen

Father didn't know the meaning of work

He disrespected Mama and treated her slightly

I left home seekin' a job that I never did find

The first thing, downhearted, I took to Cloud 9



I'm doin' fine up here on Cloud 9

Listen, one more time

I'm doin' fine up here on Cloud 9



Folks now tell me

They say, "Give yourself a chance

And don't let life pass you by."

But the world around you is a rat race

Where only the strong survive

It's a dog-eat-dog world and that ain't no lie

It ain't even safe no more

To walk the streets at night



I'm doin' fine on Cloud 9

Let me tell you about Cloud 9

(Cloud 9) You can be what you wanna be

(Cloud 9) You ain't got no responsibility

(Cloud 9) Yeah, every man, every man is free

(Cloud 9) You're a million miles from reality

(Reality) I wanna say (up) higher (up up and away)

Cloud 9



I wanna say I love the life I live

And I'm gonna live the life I love

Up here on Cloud 9

Uh uh uh uh, I'm ridin' high on Cloud 9



You're as free as a bird in flight

(Cloud 9) There's no diff'rence 'tween day and night

(Cloud 9) It's a world of love and harmony

(Cloud 9) You're a million miles from reality

(Reality) I wanna say (up) higher (up up and away)



(Cloud 9) You can be what you wanna be

(Cloud 9) You ain't got no responsibility

(Cl