Welcome to the Cruel World is Ben Harper's debut album from Virgin Records. Released in 1994, the album established Harper as a popular folk musician in the California area. After this release, Harper went on to add a permanent backing band, the Innocent Criminals, although they remained unnamed until the Burn to Shine album. The song "I'll Rise" is based on a 1978 Maya Angelou poem "And Still I Rise".

Tracklist:
A1 The Three Of Us 2:35
A2 Whipping Boy 5:31
A3 Breakin' Down 4:00
A4 Don't Take That Attitude To Your Grave 4:25
A5 Waiting On An Angel 3:53
A6 Mama's Got A Girlfriend Now 2:29
B7 Forever 3:23
B8 Like A King 4:18
B9 Pleasure And Pain 3:44
B10 Walk Away 3:49
B11 How Many Miles Must We March 3:07
B12 Welcome To The Cruel World 5:36
B13 I'll Rise 5:40