Mama's in the kitchen with mister chow
Daddy must be halfway to Saint Paul by now
The people next door won't let you get no sleep
Seems like they been fighting over there all week
And it gets so hot down in East L.A.
The streets are gonna run like a river today
And the welfare-man yeah
He's waiting at the door
Wants to have a word with Mama
And he wants a little bit more
And no-one's trying anymore
You just get promises
And you've heard all the promises before
Oh, this is some tough city
Yeah, this is one hard town
Oh, no this is one tough city
They build you up and then
They tear you down
Oh, this is one tough city
Yeah, this is one hard town
There's a man on the radio
And he's reading the news
Says things are tough all over like 1993
And there ain't no hope when it gets this blow
Seems like everybody save up years ago
And no-one's trying anymore
You just get promises
And you've heard all the promises before
Oh, this is some tough city
Yeah, this is one hard town
Oh, no this is one tough city
They build you up and then
They tear you down
Oh, this is one tough city
Yeah, this is one hard town
There's a line outside the mission
Gonna get you what you want
And the Salvation Army's got the Sisters out in front
And the Unemployment Office
It stays open all night long
And the President keeps saying yeah
We'll make this country strong
But oh, this is some tough city
Yeah, this is one hard town
Oh, no this is one tough city
They build you up and then
They tear you down
Oh, this is one tough city
Yeah, this is one hard town.