Hard Times in New York Town

From: David Raske (draske@scuacc.scu.edu)

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Come you ladies and you gentlemen and listen to my song

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Sing it to you right, but you might think it's wrong

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Just a little glimpse of a story I have telled

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'Bout an East coast city that you all know well

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It's hard times from the country, livin' down in NY town

Oh New York City is a friendly old town
From Washington Heights to Harlem on Down
There's a mighty many people in the middle an' all around
They'll kick you when you're up and knock you when you're down
It's hard times from the country livin' down in New York Town 

Well, the weak and the strong and the rich and the poor
Gather there together, there ain't room for no more
Crowded up above, and crowded down below
When someone disappears, you never even know
And it's hard times from the country livin' down in New York Town 

It's a mighty long ways from the Golden Gate
To Rockefeller Plaza and the Empire State
And Mister Empire sits up as high as a bird
And old Mister Rockefeller never says a word
It's hard times from the country livin' down in New York Town 

Well, it's up in the mornin' tryin' to find a job of work
Stand in one place 'til your feet begin to hurt
If you got a lot of money, you can make yourself merry
If you only got a nickel, it's the Staten Island Ferry
And it's hard times from the country livin' down in New York Town

Mister Hudson come a-sailin' down the stream
And old Mister Minuet paid for his dream
He bought your city on a one way track
If I had my way, I'd send it right back
It's hard times from the country livin' down in New York Town 

I'll take all the smog in Californ-e-a
And every bit of dust in the Oklahoma plains
And the dirt in the caves of the Rocky Mountain mines
Its all much cleaner than the New York kind
It's hard times in the country livin' down in New York Town

So to all you newsy people that spreadin' this around
You can listen to my story, you can listen to my song
You can stamp on my name, you can try an' get me beat
When I leave New York, I'll be standin' on my feet
And it's hard times from the country livin' down in New York Town