The Bad Side of Town

Rats in the ceiling,

Rain on the floor,

Bars on the windows

And the cops at the door;

Streetlight's broken

And the moon is gone,

And the bad boys roam

The streets 'til dawn.

Meat wagon cherry tops

Playin' their song

Up down the avenue

All night long,

Saturday night

A torch and a spoon,

This whole damn city's

Gonna howl at the moon.

Clerk keeps a .410 just outta sight,

Louisville Slugger works the bar all night.

Patron saint don't you let me down,

What am I doin' on the bad side of town.

He's out in the parking lot

Firing shots,

Pulse like a hammer

And eyes like dots,

Rue the day

When the squad cars arrive,

But time stands still

When you know you're alive.

Girl on the balcony high as a kite,

She's gonna meet her angels tonight.

Pack my things I'll see you around,

What am I doin' on the bad side of town.

Two a.m. hear it come through the wall,

Something shatters

And somebody falls.

He's gonna beat her

Black and blue tonight,

When the cops show up

He'll be out of sight.

State got the tax

And the bank got the rest,

The world goes down

Like the sun in the west.

I've had enough slummin' around,

What am I doin' on the bad side of town.