"Skid Row (Downtown)" lyrics
(cover of "Skid Row" from "Little Shop of Horrors" musical)
Alarm goes off at seven
And you start uptown
You put in your eight hours
For the powers that have always been
'Til it's five PM
(Then you go)
Downtown
Where the folks are broke, you go
Downtown
Where your life's a joke, you go
Downtown
When you buy your token
You go
Home to skid row (home to skid row)
(Yes, you go)
Downtown
Where the cabs don't stop
Downtown
Where the food is slop
Downtown
Where the hop-heads flop
In the snow
Down on skid row
Oh, Uptown you cater to a million jerks
Uptown you're messengers and
Mailroom clerks
Eating all your lunches at the
Hot dog carts
The bosses take your money
And they break your hearts
Uptown you cater to a million whores
You disinfect terrazzo on their
Bathroom floors
The jobs are really menial, you make no bread
And then at five o'clock you head
By subway
(Downtown)
Where the guys are drips (Downtown)
Where they rip your slips (Downtown)
Where relationships are no go
Down on skid row (down on skid row)
Down on skid row (down on skid row)
Down on skid (down on skid) row
Down on skid row!
Poor! All my life I've always been poor
I keep asking God what I'm for
And he tells me, "Gee, I'm not sure
Sweep that floor, kid."
Oh, I started life as an orphan
A child of the street
Down here on skid row
He took me in, gave me shelter, a bed
Crust of bread and a job
He treats me like dirt, calls me a slob
Which I am
So I live
That's your home address
You live
When your life's a mess
You live
Where depression's just
Status Quo
Downtown
Downtown
Downtown
Down on skid row
Someone show me a way to get
Out of here
'Cause I constantly pray I'll get
Out of here
Please won't somebody say I'll get
Out of here
Someone give me my shot, or I'll
Rot here
Show me how and I will, I'll get out of here
I'll start climbing uphill and get out of here
Someone tell me I still could get out of here
Someone tell Lady Luck that I'm stuck here!
Gee, it sure would be swell to get
Out of here
Bid the gutter farewell and get
Out of here
I'd move Heaven and Hell to get
Out of skid
I'd do I-don't-know-what to get out of skid
But a Hell of a lot to get out of skid
People tell me there's not a way out of skid
But believe me, I've got to get out of skid row!
Downtown
There's no rules for us
Downtown
'Cause it's dangerous
Downtown
Where the rainbow's just a no-show
Downtown
Downtown
Downtown
And you start uptown
You put in your eight hours
For the powers that have always been
'Til it's five PM
(Then you go)
Downtown
Where the folks are broke, you go
Downtown
Where your life's a joke, you go
Downtown
When you buy your token
You go
Home to skid row (home to skid row)
(Yes, you go)
Downtown
Where the cabs don't stop
Downtown
Where the food is slop
Downtown
Where the hop-heads flop
In the snow
Down on skid row
Oh, Uptown you cater to a million jerks
Uptown you're messengers and
Mailroom clerks
Eating all your lunches at the
Hot dog carts
The bosses take your money
And they break your hearts
Uptown you cater to a million whores
You disinfect terrazzo on their
Bathroom floors
The jobs are really menial, you make no bread
And then at five o'clock you head
By subway
(Downtown)
Where the guys are drips (Downtown)
Where they rip your slips (Downtown)
Where relationships are no go
Down on skid row (down on skid row)
Down on skid row (down on skid row)
Down on skid (down on skid) row
Down on skid row!
Poor! All my life I've always been poor
I keep asking God what I'm for
And he tells me, "Gee, I'm not sure
Sweep that floor, kid."
Oh, I started life as an orphan
A child of the street
Down here on skid row
He took me in, gave me shelter, a bed
Crust of bread and a job
He treats me like dirt, calls me a slob
Which I am
So I live
That's your home address
You live
When your life's a mess
You live
Where depression's just
Status Quo
Downtown
Downtown
Downtown
Down on skid row
Someone show me a way to get
Out of here
'Cause I constantly pray I'll get
Out of here
Please won't somebody say I'll get
Out of here
Someone give me my shot, or I'll
Rot here
Show me how and I will, I'll get out of here
I'll start climbing uphill and get out of here
Someone tell me I still could get out of here
Someone tell Lady Luck that I'm stuck here!
Gee, it sure would be swell to get
Out of here
Bid the gutter farewell and get
Out of here
I'd move Heaven and Hell to get
Out of skid
I'd do I-don't-know-what to get out of skid
But a Hell of a lot to get out of skid
People tell me there's not a way out of skid
But believe me, I've got to get out of skid row!
Downtown
There's no rules for us
Downtown
'Cause it's dangerous
Downtown
Where the rainbow's just a no-show
Downtown
Downtown
Downtown
Thanks to Gee for correcting these lyrics.
