^CI am just a poor boy Though my story's ^Em7seldom ^Amtold, I have ^Gsquandered my resistance For a ^G7pocket full of mumbles, such are ^Cpromises All ^Em7lies and ^Amjests Still a ^Gman hears what he ^Fwants to hear And disregards the ^Crest ^{G G7 C}

When I ^Cleft my home and my family, I was no more ^Em7than a ^Amboy In the ^Gcompany of strangers In the ^G7quiet of the railway station, ^CRunning scared, ^Em7Laying ^Amlow, seeking ^Gout the poorer ^Fquarters Where the ragged people ^Cgo Looking ^Gfor the places ^G7Only ^Gthey would ^Cknow

^CLie ^Em7la ^Amlie, lie la ^Em7la la la lie lie Lie la ^Amlie, la la ^FLie la la la ^GLie la la la la ^Clie

Asking ^Conly workman's wages I come looking f^Em7or a ^Amjob, But I get no ^Goffers, Just a ^G7come-on from the whores On Seventh ^CAvenue I ^Em7do de^Amclare, There were ^Gtimes when I was ^Fso lonesome I took some comfort ^Cthere, le le le le le le le^{G G7 C}

Now the ^Cyears are rolling by me They are rockin' ^Em7even^Amly I am ^Golder than I once was And ^G7younger than I'll be; that's not un^Cusual Nor ^Em7is it ^Amstrange After ^Gchanges upon ^Fchanges We are more or less the ^Csame After ^Gchanges we are ^G7more or less the ^Csame

^CLie ^Em7la ^Amlie, lie la ^Em7la la la lie lie Lie la ^Amlie, la la ^FLie la la la ^GLie la la la la ^Clie

Then I'm ^Claying out my winter clothes And wishing ^Em7I was ^Amgone, Going ^Ghome Where the ^G7New York City winters Aren't ^Cbleeding me, ^Em7Leading ^Amme, Going ^Ghome

In the ^Cclearing stands a boxer, And a fighter ^Em7by his ^Amtrade And he ^Gcarries the reminders Of ^G7ev'ry glove that laid him down Or ^Ccut him till he cried out In his anger ^Em7and his ^Amshame, "I am ^Gleaving, I am ^Fleaving" But the fighter still ^Cremains, mmm mmm ^{G G7 C}

^CLie ^Em7la ^Amlie, lie la ^Em7la la la lie lie Lie la ^Amlie, la la ^FLie la la la ^GLie la la la la ^Clie ^CLie ^Em7la ^Amlie, lie la ^Em7la la la lie lie Lie la ^Amlie, la la ^FLie la la la ^GLie la la la la ^Clie ^CLie ^Em7la ^Amlie, lie la ^Em7la la la lie lie Lie la ^Amlie, la la ^FLie la la la ^GLie la la la la ^Clie