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