Down on the side street

Hidden in the alley

An open door and broken glass
The kid was young but he needed the cash

And over on the corner
Under the street light
She was lookin’ good with painted eyes
Just tryin’ to sell a little paradise

City’s cryin’, it’s alive
Streets on fire, no way out
Heartbeat burnin’ in the darkness’
You could feel the fear and doubt

Time was turnin’ at the speed of light
Live by the sword and die by the gun
You see it in their eyes
They were living on the run

They were Hard times
They were times of change
Are we lookin’ back or lookin’ ahead
And don’t it feel just a little bit strange

They were Hard times
And times were tough
With everyone just tryin’ to get by
When it seems like there’s never
Never enough

People livin’ city life
Every day and every night
On the hot edge of the knife
It’s all wrong but that’s alright

In the headlines on the screen
Always watched but seldom seen
In the streets and on their minds
No denying they were
Hard Times