Dennis: The childhood part of my life Wasn't very pretty, see... Temptations: Boom, boom-boom, boom Dennis: I was born and raised In the slums of the city, Temptations: Boom, boom-boom, boom Dennis: It was a one-room shack That slept ten other children beside me, Temptations: Boom, boom-boom, boom Dennis: We hardly had enough food Or room to sleep Temptations: Boom, boom-boom, boom Dennis: It was hard times... I needed somethin' to ease my troubled mind
Paul: Hmmmm listen... My father didn't know the meaning of work Temptations: Boom, boom-boom, boom Paul: He disrespected mama, And treated us like dirt Temptations: Boom, boom-boom, boom Paul: I left home seeking a job That I never did find Temptations: Boom, boom-boom, boom Paul: Depressed and down-hearted And I took to cloud nine Temptations: Boom, boom-boom, boom
Paul: I'm doing fine Up here, on cloud nine Paul: Listen, one more time Paul: I'm doing fine Up here, on cloud nine Dennis: Folks down there tell me...
Dennis: They say give yourself a chance,son, don't let life pass you by, Temptations: Woo, woo, woo-oo Dennis: that the world of reality's a rat race Where only the strongest survive, It's a dog-eat-dog world And that ain't no lie, Temptations: Ain't no lie Dennis: It ain't even safe no more To walk the streets at night
Eddie: I'm doing fine Temptations: On cloud nine
Dennis: Let me tell you 'bout cloud nine... Temptations: Cloud nine Paul: You can be what you want to be Temptations: Cloud Nine Dennis: You ain't got no responsibility Temptations: Cloud Nine Eddie: And every man, every man is free Temptations: Cloud nine Dennis: You're a million miles from reality Otis: Reality
Temptations: I wanna' stay up Eddie and Otis: Higher Temptations: Up up, Up and away
Temptations: Cloud nine
Eddie: I wanna' say I love the life I live, And I'm going to Eddie/Otis: live, the life I love Eddie: Up here on cloud nine... I, I, I, I, I, I'm ridin' high Temptations: On cloud nine
Dennis: You're as free as a bird in flight Temptations: Cloud nine Melvin: There's no difference between day and night Temptations: Cloud nine Eddie: It's a world of love and harmony Temptations: Cloud nine Dennis: You're a million miles from reality Otis: Reality
Temptations: I wanna' stay up Eddie and Otis: Higher Temptations: Up up, up and away
Temptations: Cloud Nine Paul: You can be what you want to be, ah Temptations: Cloud nine Dennis: You ain't got no responsibility Temptations: Cloud nine Eddie: Every man in his mind is free Temptations: Cloud nine Dennis: You're a million miles from reality Temptations: Cloud nine Paul: You can be what you want to be
Temptations: all of them weave in and out with ad libs and choruses of "Boom-booms"