come you ladies and you gentlemen a listen to my song sing it to you right but you might think its wrong just a little glimpse of a story ill tell bout an east coast city that you all know well its 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 theres a mighty many people all milling all around theyll kick you when youre up and knock you when youre down its hard times in the city living down in new york town well the weekend is strong and the rich and the poor get there together in roof an no more crowdin up bove and crowdin down below and someone disappears you never even know and it s hard times from the country livin down in new york town its a mighty long ways from the golden gate to rockefeller plaza n the empire state mister empire sets up as high as a bird old mister rockefeller never says a word its hard times from the country living down in new york town well its up in the morning trying 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 its the staten island ferry and its 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 f i had my way id sell it right back and its hard times in the city living down in new york town  ill 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 its all much cleaner than the new york kind and its hard times in the city living down in new york town so all you newsy people spread the news around you can listen to m story listen to m song you can step on my name you can try n get me beat when i leave new york ill be standing on my feet and its hard times in the city living down in new york town1