Neil Young - Crime In the City (Sixty to Zero Part I) Lyrics

Well, the cop made the showdown
He was sure, he was right
He had all of the lowdown
From the bank heist last night

His best friend was a robber
And his wife was a thief
All the children were killers
They couldn't get no relief

The bungalow was surrounded
When a voice loud and clear
Said, "Come on out with your hands up
Or we'll blow you out of here"

There was a face in the window
The TV cameras rolled
Then they cut to the announcer
And the story was told

The artist looked at the producer
The producer sat back
He said, "What we have got here
Is a perfect track"

But we don't have a vocal
And we don't have a song
If we could get these things accomplished
Nothin' else could go wrong

So he balanced the ashtray
As he picked up the phone
And said, "Send me a songwriter
Who's drifted far from home"

And make sure that he's hungry
Make sure he's alone
Send me a cheeseburger
And a new Rolling Stone yeah

There's still crime in the city
Said the cop on the beat
"I don't know if I can stop it
I feel like meat on the street"

They paint my car like a target
I take my orders from fools
Meanwhile some kid blows my head off
Well, I play by their rules

That's why I'm doin' it my way
I took the law in my hands
So here I am in the alleyway
A wad of cash in my pants

I get paid by a ten year old
He says "He looks up to me
There's still crime in the city
But it's good to be free"

Now I come from a family
That has a broken home
Sometimes I talk to daddy
On the telephone

When he says that he loves me
I know that he does
But I wish I could see him
I wish I knew where he was

But that's the way all my friends are
Except maybe one or two
Wish I could see him this weekend
Wish I could walk in his shoes

But now I'm doin' my own thing
Sometimes I'm good, then I'm bad
Although my home has been broken
It's the best home I ever had, yeah

Well, I keep gettin' younger
My life's been funny that way
Before I ever learned to talk
I forgot what to say

I sassed back to my mom
I sassed back to my teacher
I got thrown out of Bible school
For sassin' back at the preacher

Then I grew up to be a fireman
Put out every fire in town
Put out anything smokin'
But when I put the hose down

The judge sent me to prison
He gave me life without parole
Wish I never put the hose down
Wish I never got old