This Hard Town

I was a cowboy on the northern range

Followed the code mister sun or rain

Spent my nights by the campfire light

Nothing with hair that I couldn't ride

I grew older sir tired and poor

Bought me a guitar and I learned me some chords

I grabbed my saddle and I headed south

There ain't no gold left in this hard town

Still something missing sir in my life

So I took an East Coast girl for my wife

She works hard does the best she can

Putting food on the table for her guitar man

Straight out of Sunday school she cries sometimes

Trying hard to love me through the smoke-filled lies but she's

Always there 'til the bars close down

There ain't no soul left in this hard town

Chorus:

Well I've stood in the doorway of this wanderlust

Settled down at the crossroads where its bank or bust

Searched the yellow pages and the one thing I've found

There ain't no hope left in this hard town

There ain't no soul left in this hard town

They told me this was like the Promised Land

But there ain't no spare change for blue-collar hands

How am I to measure mister what I'm worth

"I'm sorry son we just don't have the work."

Can't hold a job if you're holding a dream

That's what that homeless man he said to me

"Survival or betrayal is what it's all about

and there ain't a dime left in this hard town

(chorus)

Some nights I lie awake and hold her tight

See what I've done to her and apologize

Throw a prayer to the ceiling and I ask the Lord

How I ended up here with an East Coast girl

I'll tell her of a place I used to know

Long summer days and high mountain snow

I've got some good friends up there still around

And there ain't no pride left in this hard town

(chorus)

2002 Two Mule Music/BMI. All rights reserved.