Livin' The Street Life - Tom Paxton

When I left my home behind me

And I heard that screen door slam

I fell that no one knew me

And that no one gave a damn

Always scrappin' with my momma

Always fightin' with my old man

We had one hard fight too many

So I packed my bags and ran

Yeah, I headed for the city

Where the knock-down people go

Where the lights are on till morning

And it’s anything but slow

So I fell in with some strangers

And the first thing that they done

Was to take my leather jacket

And then kick my head for fun

And it’s hard, hard

Livin' the street life

Sleepin' in doorways wrapped in cardboard

Gettin' sicker day by day

Yes, it’s hard, hard

Livin' the street life

And I wish I had some way of gettin' away

I met up with a kid named Luis

And he knew his way around

He knew ev’ry inch of the subway

And his life was underground

He was very hard on people

Who would work from nine to five

But he sold his body to them

And he called it stayin' alive

When it’s cold and wet and lonely

It can hurt you really bad

And you think about the family

That you never really had

With a hunger in your belly

And a fever startin' to burn

You’ve got the freedom of the city

But you’ve got nowhere to turn

‘Cause it’s hard, hard

Livin' the street life

Sleepin' in doorways wrapped in cardboard

Gettin' sicker day by day

Yes, it’s hard, hard

Livin' the street life

And I wish I had some way of gettin' away

When I left my home behind me

And I heard that screen door slam

I fell that no one knew me

And that no one gave a damn

Always scrappin' with my momma

Always fightin' with my old man

We had one hard fight too many

So I packed my bags and ran

But it’s hard, hard

Livin' the street life

Sleepin' in hallways wrapped in cardboard

Gettin' sicker day by day

Yes, it’s hard, hard

Livin' the street life

And I wish I had some way of gettin' away

Gettin' away (Gettin' away)

Gettin' away (Gettin' away)

Gettin' away (Gettin' away)

Gettin' away (Gettin' away)

Gettin' away

Gettin' away

(Hard, hard, hard)

(Hard, hard, hard)