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 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
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