[00:02.38]Come you ladies and you gentlemen, a-listen to my song
[00:05.59]Sing it to you right, but you might think it’s wrong
[00:07.97]Just a little glimpse of a story I’ll tell
[00:10.71]’Bout an East Coast city that you all know well
[00:13.24]It’s hard times
[00:14.48]From the country, living’ down in New York town
[00:17.63]Old New York City is a friendly old town
[00:22.38]From Washington Heights to Harlem on down
[00:24.74]There’s a-mighty many people all milling’ all around
[00:27.36]They’ll kick you when you’re up and knock you when you’re down
[00:30.08]It’s hard times
[00:30.88]From the country, living’ down in New York town
[00:34.57]Well, the weekend is strong and the rich and the poor
[00:39.95]Get there together in roof an' no more
[00:42.43]Crowdin' up 'bove and crowdin' down below
[00:44.95]And someone disappears, you never even know
[00:47.38]And it's hard times from the country, livin' down in New York town
[00:51.90]It’s a mighty long ways from the Golden Gate
[00:56.15]To Rockefeller Plaza ’n’ the Empire State
[00:58.69]Mister Empire sets up as high as a bird
[01:01.24]Old Mister Rockefeller never says a word
[01:03.60]It’s hard times from the country
[01:05.96]Living’ down in New York town
[01:08.12]Well, it’s up in the morning’ trying’ to find a job of work
[01:12.62]Stand in one place till your feet begin to hurt
[01:14.68]If you got a lot o’ money you can make yourself merry
[01:17.13]If you only got a nickel, it’s the Staten Island Ferry
[01:19.81]And it’s hard times
[01:20.66]From the country, living’ down in New York town
[01:24.07]Mister Hudson come a-sailing down the stream
[01:29.61]And old Mister Minuet paid for his dream
[01:32.00]Bought your city on a one-way track
[01:34.19]’F I had my way I’d sell it right back
[01:37.01]And it’s hard times
[01:37.65]From the country, living’ down in New York town
[01:42.75]I’ll take all the smog in Cal-i-for-ne-ay
[01:45.47]’N’ every bit of dust in the Oklahoma plains
[01:47.91]’N’ the dirt in the caves of the Rocky Mountain mines
[01:50.36]It’s all much cleaner than the New York kind
[01:52.75]And it’s hard times
[01:53.88]In the country, living’ down in New York town
[01:58.40]So all you newsy people, spread the news around
[02:01.41]You can listen to m’ story, listen to m’ song
[02:03.67]You can step on my name, you can try ’n’ get me beat
[02:06.16]When I leave New York, I’ll be standing’ on my feet
[02:08.74]And it’s hard times
[02:09.76]From the country, living’ down in New York town