|
I don't want a lot I want just enough |
|
So why has it got to be so damn tough |
|
Livin' on the uptown side of jive |
|
Hustlin' a buck to stay alive |
|
Lookin' for a ten and they give your five |
|
Well it's tough |
|
You talk to the boss the boss is gruff |
|
You ask for a raise and they call your bluff |
|
You may get some but it's never enough |
|
Because it's tough |
|
Strong, like a magnum force |
|
Rough, like a new divorce |
|
Mean, like a three-time loser |
|
Bad, like an L.A. cruiser |
|
Down, like a limousine |
|
Blind, like a submarine |
|
Hard, like cold concrete |
|
Tough, that's the rhythm of the beat |
|
You hit the street and you look for work |
|
You don't want to be some welfare jerk |
|
But I wonder how you get to be Captain Kirk |
|
It's tough |
|
Now Kirk has a ship called the Enterprise |
|
He cuts the aliens down to size |
|
But I wonder what he'd do with the uptown guys |
|
They're tough |
|
Tough, try to get some cash |
|
When you're looking for a raise and they give you trash |
|
Rough, when you got it like that |
|
And your woman's running 'round with a baseball bat |
|
Hard, try to play it cool |
|
When the girl's all know you're an out of work fool |
|
Tough, how it seems to be |
|
Wish I had somebody lookin' out for me |
|
Try to find a lover if you dare |
|
Even if you do she just won't care |
|
Well no one ever said that that life is fair |
|
Because it's tough |
|
Saw a fine young lady the other day |
|
I started my rap, I had a lot to say |
|
But she said she was goin' with a C.P.A. |
|
Now it's tough |
|
Strong, like a superhero |
|
Rough, like a bank book zero |
|
Mean, like the Oakland Raiders |
|
Bad, like the Caped Crusaders |
|
Down, like a home run ball |
|
Blind, like an umpire's call |
|
Hard, like a cruel deceit |
|
Tough, that's the rhythm of the beat |
|
You worked all year to buy a brand new car |
|
A Coupe de Ville or a Jaguar |
|
But you didn't make enough for a good cigar |
|
Because it's tough |
|
So you went to the bank to try to get a loan |
|
But the guy behind the desk had a heart as stone |
|
He said, "You don't need a car, use the telephone" |
|
It's tough |
|
Tough, it's a way of life, lost your job |
|
Your money, but not your wife |
|
Rough, gettin' in the black, Uncle Sam's in your pocket |
|
And your woman's on your back |
|
Hard, that's the deal |
|
Had to get a loan just to buy a meal |
|
Tough, that's how it goes |
|
When it's gettin' better, nobody knows |
|
Strong, like Chocolate Thunder |
|
Rough, like Stevie Wonder |
|
Mean, like Brucie The Shark |
|
Bad, like the Raider's Ark |
|
Down, like Sugar's Glove |
|
Blind, like a man in love |
|
Hard, like a big defeat |
|
Tough, that's the rhythm of the beat |
|
Tough, that's the word |
|
Unemployment is all I heard |
|
Rough, when you start your day |
|
Watch the finance man tow your car away |
|
Hard, to hold a job |
|
When you've been replaced by a little blue knob |
|
Tough, like a dollar steak |
|
Ain't someone ever gonna give me a break |
