oh what a beautiful city oh what a beautiful city across the river across the river bless me father for i have sinned my last confession was well god knows when i m a thief and liar i use your name in vain but now im in some trouble it s kinda hard to explain and i need your help and i pray that you ll consider helpin me over the borderline look at that beautiful city cross the river i got nothin to hide cause i can t fool you i ve done some things that i shouldn t do i lost my faith time and time again ran from my family turned my back on my friends until my world is just cold dark and bitter but i could walk in warm sunshine in that beautiful city cross the river ive never had money not enough anyway never got a break i struggled day to day and then i met this girl down in tennessee and for a few dollars she was real kind to me but she wanted things that i couldnt give her but i ll be rich as any king in that beautiful city cross the river now i didn t hurt no one i didn t fire a gun just stole what i could and then i began to run drove three long days straight to el paso with a bag full of cash and visions of mexico now all i m askin is that you will deliver me over the borderline to that beautiful city cross the river