Lyrics

This Side of Town
[William Livesay/David Graham ©1996]

His mama left him when he was just a boy
Daddy’s never really been around
Preacher man said, son you gotta learn to shake it off
you can’t let that kind of thing let you down
It ain’t easy baby
No it ain’t easy baby on this side of town
Ain’t no ladders left to climb
Some say justice is blind
On This Side of Town
When he was 16 he got a factory job
Big boss man stayed on his case all the time
One day he said boy you know you just ain’t worth a damn
Well he stood there and took it cause’ it was the only job he could find
It ain’t easy baby
No it ain’t easy baby on this side of town
Ain’t no ladders left to climb
Some say justice is blind
On This Side of Town
Presidents been talking ‘bout that American dream
Every immigrant I know is better off than me
They say that hell is paved with the intentions of the good
There will be hell to pay on the day of reckoning
On This Side of Town
It ain’t easy On This Side of Town
Homes are falling down
There ain’t no peace to be found
On This Side of Town

Now he’s a man with a wife and family
Union says they want to go on strike
But how can he just walk away from his job
Over something that some man doesn’t like
It ain’t easy baby
No it ain’t easy baby on this side of town
It’s like reachin’ for the sky
Expecting to fly
On This Side of Town