Hard Years in the Big City

By Dr. Mil­lar and the Beet Club
i owed mon­ey all over town
felt like i could not leave the house
with­out let­ting some­body down
i just went out for some­thing pret­ty
for my wife
you know it broke my heart
to see her look­ing so low down
those were hard years
in the big city
i just went out
for some­thing pret­ty
for my wife
hop­ing in the years to come
we would both look back upon
those hard years
as the best years of our lives
you know me
i nev­er did no one no harm
but there i was out on the street
danc­ing to keep warm
i went in for some cof­fee
just to warm my hands and feet
when a woman walk­ing out
dropped her mon­ey beside me
those were hard years
in the big city
i just went out
for some­thing pret­ty
for my wife
hop­ing in the years to come
we would both look back upon
those hard years
as the best years of our lives
i nev­er stole a wom­ans mon­ey before
but i saw no one was look­ing
so i picked it off the floor
and i peeled myself off twen­ty
and i peeled off twen­ty more
and i threw the rest on the ground
and i legged it out the door
those were hard years
in the big city
i just went out
for some­thing pret­ty
for my wife
hop­ing in the years to come
we would both look back upon
those hard years
as the best years of our lives
i bought my wife
a hat and gloves
and a chick­en with the change
and i went home and i told her
things would nev­er be the same again
cos things just are the way they are
and theres no one to blame
i was doing what i had to do
ill nev­er feel ashamed
of those hard years
in the big city
i just went out
for some­thing pret­ty
for my wife
hop­ing in the years to come
we would both look back upon
those hard years
as the best years of our lives