Come you ladies and you gentlemen and listen to my song
Sing it to you right, but you might think it's wrong
Just a little glimpse of a story I'll tell
Bout an east coast city that you all know well
It's hard times, from the country living down in New York town

Old New York city is a friendly old town
From Washington Heights to Harlem on down
There's a mighty many people in the middle and all around
They'll kick you when you're up and knock you when you're down
It's hard times, from the country living down in New York town

Well the weak and the strong and the rich and the poor
Gather, gathering room for no more
Crowded up abovе and crowded down below
And someonе disappears you never even know
And it's hard times, from the country living down in New York town

It's a mighty long ways from the Golden Gate
To Rockafeller Plaza and the Empire State
Mr. Empire sits up as high as a bird
And old Mr. Rockafeller never says a word
It's hard times, from the country living down in New York town

Well it's up in the morning trying to find a job or work
Stand in one place till your feet begin to hurt
If you got a lot of money you can make yourself merry
If you only got a nickel it's the Staten Island ferry
It's hard times, from the country living down in New York town
Mr. Hudson come a-sailing down the stream
And old Minuet mister paid for his dream
Bought your city on a one-way track
If I had my way I'd sell it right back
It's hard times, from the country living down in New York town

I'll take all the smog in California
And every bit of dust in the Oklahoma planes
And the dirt and in the caves of the Rocky Mount mines
It's so much cleaner than the New York kind
It's hard times, in the country living down in New York town

So all you newsy people let spread the news around
You've listened to my story, you've listened to my song
You can stamp on my name, you can try and get me beat
When I leave New York I'll be standing on my feet
It's hard times from the country, living down in New York town