Hard Times In New York Town ¹

Bob Dylan © 1962 Duchess Music Corp., 1965 Music Corp. of America

(Official lyrics @ www.bobdylan.com)

The Home of Bonnie Beecher, Minneapolis MN - 22.dec.1961  
Cynthia Gooding's radio show - 13.jan.1962  
The Home of Eve and Mac McKenzie, NYC - 27.jan.1962  

Three slightly different lyrics, with verses 6 and 7 exchanged or verse 6 missing 

Come you ladies 'n' you gentlemen, listen to my song
Sing it to you right but you might think it's wrong
Just a little glimpse of a story i'll tell
'Bout an east coast city that you all know well
It's hard times from the country
Livin' down in New York town.

Ol' New York City is a friendly old town
From Washington Heights to Harlem on down
There's a-mighty many people all a-millin' all around
They'll kick you when you're up an' knock you when you're down
It's hard times from the country
Livin' down in New York town.

Well the weak 'n' the strong 'n' the rich 'n' the poor
[Together gather | Crowdin' together] in room for no more
Crowdin' up above an' crowdin' down below
When someone disappears [she | you] never even know[s]
It's hard times from the country
Livin' down in New York town.

It's a-mighty long ways from the Golden Gate
To Rockefeller Plaza an' the Empire State
Mister [Empire | Rockefeller] sets up as high as a bird
An' ol' mister [Rockefeller | Empire] never says a word
It's hard times from the country
Livin' down in New York town.

Well it's up in the mornin tryin' to find a job o' work
Stand in one place till your feet begin to hurt
If you got a lot of money you can make yourself merry
If you only got a nickel, it's the Staten Island ferry
It's hard times from the country
Livin' down in New York town.

Mister Hudson comes a-sailin' down the stream
An' ol' mister Minuit he paid for his dream
Bought your city on a one way track
If i had my way i'd sell it right back
An' it's hard times from the country
Livin' down in New York town.

I'll take all the smog in Californi-ay
An' every bit of dust in the Oklahoma plains
An' the dirt in the caves of the Rocky Mountains mines
It's all much cleaner than the New York kind
It's hard times from the country
Livin' down in New York town.

So all you newsy people, let spread the news around
If you listen to my story, if you listen my song
You can step on my name, you can try an' get me beat
When i leave New York i'll be standin' on my feet
It's hard times from the country
Livin' down in New York town.