My eyes are poppin' from the pressure, pulse poundin' in my brain From another day another damn dollar down the drain Stuck here on the freeway, goin' nowhere fast Except maybe the poorhouse the way I'm burnin' gas It's a hard life Yeah it's a hard life Yeah it's a hard life livin' in the city Well I can't get the work with these broke down tools But I can't afford to fix 'em if I play it by the rules It's a vicious cycle it's a chicken or the egg I'd like one of each with gravy but I'd probably have to beg It's a hard life Yeah it's a hard life Yeah it's a hard life livin' in the city Well I got a scrawny cat that's been hangin' 'round some He scratches like a devil and he steals like a bum But I don't really mind it 'cause I know how it feels Tryin' to catch a rat and not get crushed by the wheels It's a hard life Yeah it's a hard life Yeah it's a hard life livin' in the city Well I've got a good heart, hell I ain't a bad kid But the city made me do some things I wish I never did I oughta pack it up, head on back to the holler A couple more weeks here and I'll probably need a lawyer It's a hard life Yeah it's a hard life Yeah it's a hard life livin' in the city Yeah it's a hard life livin' in the city Yeah it's a hard life livin' in the city