Come you lad ies and you gen tlemen a-li sten to my so ng
Sing it to you rig ht but you mi ght think it?s wr ong
Just a little gl impse of a st ory I?ll te ll
?Bout an East Coast ci ty that you al l know we ll
It?s hard times in the countr y
Liv in? down in New York to wn
Old N ew York Ci ty is a fri endly old to wn
From Washington Hei ghts to Har lem on do wn
There?s a-mighty many pe ople all mil lin? all aro und
They?ll kick you when you?re up and kn ock you when you?re do wn
It?s hard times in the countr y
Liv in? down in New York to wn
It?s a mig hty long wa ys from the Gol den Gat e
To Rockefeller Pla za ?n? the Em pire St ate.
Mister Em pire sets up as hi gh as a bi rd
Old Mister Rockefeller nev er says a wo rd
It?s hard times from the countr y
Liv in? down in New York to wn
Well it?s u p in the mor nin? tryin? to fin d a job of wo rk
Stand in one pla ce till your fe et begin to hu rt
If you got a lot o? mon ey you can ma ke yourself me rry
If you only got a nic kel it?s the St aten Island Fe rry
And it?s hard times in the countr y
Liv in? down in New York to wn
Mister Hud son com e a-sai lin? down the str eam
And old Mister Minu et pai d for his dre am
Bought your ci ty on a on e-way tra ck
?F I had my way I?d se ll it right ba ck
And it?s hard times in the countr y
Li vin? down in New York to wn
I?ll ta ke all the sm og in Cal -i-for-ne-a y
?N? every bit of du st in the Okla homa pla ins
?N? the dirt in the ca ves of the Ro cky Mountain mi nes
It?s all much clea ner than the Ne w York ki nd
And it?s hard times in the countr y
Liv in? down in New York to wn
So al l you newsy peo ple spr ead the news aro und
You c?n listen to m? sto ry list en to m? so ng
You c?n step on my na me you c?n tr y ?n? get me be at
When I leave New York I?ll be sta ndin? on my fe et
And it?s hard times in the countr y
Liv in? down in New York tow n
