Living for the City

(x2) A boy is born  in hard time Missis - sippi Surrounded by  four walls that ain't so pretty His parents give him love and af - fection To keep him strong moving in the right di - rection Living just e - nough just e - nough For the city-!          Yah!      His father works some days for fourteen hours And you can bet  he barely makes a dollar His mother goes  to scrub the floors for many And you'd best believe  she hardly gets a penny Living just e - nough just e - nough For the city!          Yeah!      Na -na na! Na-- na na na! Na -na na -na na na -na! Na na na na!    Na -na na -na na! Woo!  His sister's black but she is sho' nuff pretty Her skirt is short  but Lord her legs are sturdy To walk to school  she's got to get up early Her clothes are old but never are they dirty Living just e - nough just e - nough For the city-!          Hummm! Her brother's smart he's got more sense than many His patience's long but soon he won't have any To find a job  is like a haystack needle 'Cause where he lives they don't use coloured people Living just e - nough just e - nough For the city                                Yeah! Na -na na! Na-- na na na! Na -na na -na na na -na! Na na na na!    Na -na na -na na! Living ...just e - nough ...for the city! Woh -oh!  (x2) Na -na na! Na-- na na na! Na -na na -na na na -na! Na na na na!    Na -na na -na na! "Bus for New York City!" "Hey bus driver! I'm getting on that hold it! Thanks a lot." "Wow...New York just like I pictured it ...skyscrapers and everything!" "Pssst! Hey hey brother! Hey come here slick!" "Huh?" "Hey you look... you look hip man! Hey you wanna make yourself five bucks man?" "Yeah brother!" "Look here run this across the street for me right quick. Okay? Right across town!" "Alright hands on that goddam car! Let's go!" "I didn't know! ...What?" "Gimme your hands up you punk!" "I'm just going across the street!" "Put that leg up!" "Shut your mouth!" "Oh no! What'd I do?" "Okay turn around turn around! Put your hands behind your back! Let's go let's go!" "A jury of your peers having found you guilty ...ten years!" "What?" "Come on ...come on get in that cell nigga!" "God ...lord!" His hair is long his feet are hard and gritty He spends his life walking the streets of New York City He's almost dead from breathing in air pol - lution He tried to vote but to him there's no so - lution Living just e - nough just e - nough For the city!                I hope you hear  in - side my voice of sorrow And that it motivates you to make a better to - morrow This place is cruel no where could be much colder If we don't change  the world will soon be over Living just e - nough Stop giving just e - nough ...for the ci - ty!  Na -na na! Na-- na na na! Na -na na -na na na -na! Na na na na!    Na -na na -na na! Na -na na! Na-- na na na! Na -na na -na na na -na! Na na na na!    Na -na na -na na!