Hard Times In New York Town

Come you ladies and you gentlemen and listen to my song Sing it to you right, but you might think it's wrong Just a little glimpse of a story I'll tell 'Bout an east coast city that you all know well It's hard times in the country, livin' down in New York town Old New York city is a friendly old town From Washington Heights to Harlem on down There's a-mighty many people an' their millin' all around They'll kick you when you're up and knock you when you're down It's hard times in the country, livin' down in New York town Well, the weekend is strong and the rich and the poor Get there together in roof an' no more Crowdin' up 'bove and crowdin' down below And 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 n' the Empire State Mister Empire sits up as high as a bird And Ol' Mister Rockfeller 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 till your feet begin to hurt If you got a lot o' money you can make yourself merry 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 this city on a one-way track If I had my way I'd sell it right back It's hard times from the country, livin' down in New York town I'll take all the smog in California And every bit of dust in the Oklahoma plains And the dirt in the caves of the Rocky Mountain mines It's all much cleaner than the New York kind It's hard times in the country, livin' down in New York town So all you newsy people, spread the news around You've listen to my story, you've listen to my song You can step on my name, you can try and 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