Younger Generation Blues - Janis Ian

I was standing on the corner, I was smoking on the sly

When along comes a grownup from the grown-up FBI

He said — this ain’t Marlboro country, hon

Where’s you get your cigarettes?

You know you are too young

Then up stepped three more governmental nuts

Who’d been laying in the gutter disguised as cigarette butts

If you think I’m hating grown-ups, you’ve got me all wrong

They’re very nice people when they stay where they belong

But I’m the younger generation

And your rules are giving me fixations

I’ve got those younger generation, regurgitatin' blues

Called for the sergeant.

He rolled up in a hearse

And he called me a lousy no-good juvenile pervert

He gave me a lecture on cancer of the lung

Said — anyone who smokes is a low down dirty bum

«Don't let me catch you smoking around here again», he said

And he took another drag of his own cigarette

If you think I’m hating grown-ups, you’ve got me all wrong

They’re very nice people when they stay where they belong

But I’m the younger generation

And your rules are giving me fixations

I’ve got those younger generation, regurgitatin' blues

Going down the corner, I was going against the light

Which had just turned green, when up comes this guy

Says — don’t you know that’s a federal offense?

Seems like kids your age just ain’t got no sense

Don’t you know you’re risking juvenile arrest?

Committing suicide is punishable by death

If you think I’m hating grown-ups, you’ve got me all wrong

They’re very nice people when they stay where they belong

But I’m the younger generation

And your rules are giving me fixations

I’ve got those younger generation, regurgitatin' blues

Sitting on a city park bench, Reader’s Digest in my hand

When down next to me sits this liberal looking man

Who says — you’re a cute chick, I believe in being free

I swung at him with my pocket book — don’t you natural around me!

He took out a badge, put some handcuffs on my hands

«Now you’re carrying a weapon, self defense be damned»

If you think I’m hating grown-ups, you’ve got me all wrong

They’re very nice people when they stay where they belong

But I’m the younger generation

And your rules are giving me fixations

I’ve got those younger generation, regurgitatin' blues