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

"Bout an East Coast city that you all know well.
It´s hard times in the city,
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 all millin´ all around,
They´ll kick you when you´re up and knock you when you´re down.
It´s hard times in the city,
Livin´ down in New York town.

It´s a mighty long ways from the Golden Gate
To Rockefeller Plaza n´ the Empire State.
Mister Rockefeller sets up as high as a bird,
Old Mister Empire 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 fins a job of work.
Stand in one place till your feet begin to hurt.
If you go a lot o´ 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,
Livin´ down in New York town.

Mister Hudson come a-sailin´ down the stream
And old Mister Minuet paid for his dream.
Bought your city on a one-way track,
´F I had my way I´d sell it right back.
And it´s hard times in the city,
Livin´ down in New York town.

I´ll take all the smog in Cal-i-for-ne-ay,
´N´ every bit of dust in the Oklahoma plains,
´N´ 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,
Livin´ down in New York town.

So all you newsy people, spread the news around,
You c´n listen to m´ story, listen to m´ song.
You c´n step on my name, you c´n try ´n´ get me beat,
When I leave New York, I´ll be standin´ on my feet.
And it´s hard times in the city,
Livin´ down in New York town.