Come you ladies and you gentlemen, a-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
About an East Coast city that you all know well
It's hard times in the city
Living 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 all milling all around
They'll kick you when you're up and knock you when you're down
It's hard times in the city
Living down in New York town
It's a mighty long ways from the Golden Gate
To Rockefeller Plaza and the Empire State
Mister Rockefeller sits up as high as a bird
Old Mister Empire never says a word
It's hard times from the country
Living down in New York town
Well, it's up in the morning tryin'g to find a job of work
Stand in one place until 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 in the city
Living down in New York town
Mister Hudson come a-sailing down the stream
And old Mister Minuet paid for his dream
Bought your city on a one-way track
If I had my way I'd sell it right back
And it's hard times in the city
Living 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
And it's hard times in the city
Living down in New York town
So all you newsy people, spread the news around
You can listen to my story, 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 standing on my feet
And it's hard times in the city
Living down in New York town