This version of It’S Hard To Be A Saint In The City was released by Bruce Springsteen in 1973.
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I had skin like leather and the diamond-hard look of a cobra
I was born blue and weathered but I burst just like a supernova
I could walk like Brando right into the sunThen dance just like a Casanova
With my blackjack and jacket and hair slicked sweet
Silver star studs on my duds like a Harley in heat
When I strut down the street I could feel its heartbeat
The sisters fell back and said “Don’t that man look pretty”
The cripple on the corner cried out “Nickels for your pity”
Them downtown boys sure talk grittyIt’s so hard to be a saint in the city
I was the king if the alley I could talk some trash
I was the prince of the paupers crowned downtown at the beggar’s bash
I was the pimp’s main prophet I kept everythning cool
A backstreet gambler with the luck to lose
And when the heat came down it was left on the ground
The devil appeared like Jesus through the steam in the street
Showin’ me a hand I knew even the cops couldn’t beat
I felt his hot breath on my neck as I dove into the heat
It’s so hard to be a saint when you’re just a boy
And the sages of the subway sit just like the living dead
As the tracks clack out the rhythm their eyes fixed straightahead
They ride the line of balance and hold on by just a thread
But it’s too hot in these tunnels you can get hit up by the heat
You get up to get out at your next stop but they push you
back down in your seat
Your heart starts beatin’ faster as you struggle to your feet
Then you’re outa that hole and back up on the street
And them South Side sisters sure look pretty
The cripple on the corner cries out “Nickels for your pity”
And them downtown boys sure talk grittyIt’s so hard to be a saint in the city
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About Lyrics and It’S Hard To Be A Saint In The City by Bruce Springsteen
The lyrics for It’S Hard To Be A Saint In The City are made up of the words, verses and background chorus for the popular 1973 song by Bruce Springsteen. Like a lot of songs, the lyrics to It’S Hard To Be A Saint In The City have both direct meanings and metaphorical context hidden within the song's words. All of the meanings are only truly known by the creators of the lyrics for It’S Hard To Be A Saint In The City - Bruce Springsteen and any of the writers who worked with them on the song. If you have an interest in the structure of words and phrases, you can dissect the lyrics to It’S Hard To Be A Saint In The City by Bruce Springsteen in multiple ways.
More Songs & Lyrics by Bruce Springsteen
- 4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) (1973)
- Blinded By The Light (1973)
- Does This Bus Stop At 82nd Street? (1973)
- For You (1973)
- Growin’ Up (1973)
- Incident On 57th Street (1973)
- Kitty’s Back (1973)
- Lost In The Flood (1973)
- Mary Queen Of Arkansas (1973)
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- New York City Serenade (1973)
- Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) (1973)
- Spirit In The Night (1973)
- The Angel (1973)
- The E Street Shuffle (1973)
- Wild Billy’s Circus Story (1973)
- Backstreets (1975)
- Born To Run (1975)
- Jungleland (1975)
- Meeting Across The River (1975)
- Night (1975)
- She’s The One (1975)
- Tenth Avenue Freeze Out (1975)
- Thunder Road (1975)
- Adam Raised A Cain (1978)
- Badlands (1978)
- Candy’s Room (1978)
- Darkness On The Edge Of Town (1978)
- Factory (1978)
- Prove It All Night (1978)
- Racing In The Street (1978)
- Something In The Night (1978)
- Streets Of Fire (1978)
- The Promised Land (1978)
- Cadillac Ranch (1980)
- Crush On You (1980)
- Drive All Night (1980)
- Fade Away (1980)
- Hungry Heart (1980)
- I Wanna Marry You (1980)
- I’m A Rocker (1980)
- Independence Day (1980)
- Jackson Cage (1980)
- Out In The Street (1980)
- Point Blank (1980)
- Ramrod (1980)
- Sherry Darling (1980)
- Stolen Car (1980)
- The Price You Pay (1980)
- The River (1980)
- The Ties That Bind (1980)
Visit our Bruce Springsteen profile for more Bruce Springsteen songs, lyrics & info!
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