On the church steps
Dumpster diving to feed her baby Emma
It's not that far
In these mercenary times, oh no
No I never shot no one
About the coat on your back
It's not that far
When you've got no money you can't pay rent
And the sandwich you had, oh no
Within every city and town there's a Madison
Do they solve the problem, no, they move him away
And you feel real guilty
It's not that far
From the sharks in the penthouse
It's not that far
To the bag lady frozen asleep in the park
To a knife on the A train
To the bag lady frozen asleep
I can show you if you'd like to
And stay quick on your feet, oh yeah
From the sharks in the penthouse
Walking down Madison
To a knife on the A train
And do you want to see some more?
Trying to keep my head screwed on
To the bag lady frozen asleep
I was philosophizing some
From an uptown apartment
I was philosophizing some
No I never shot no one
Nickels and dimes won't even buy your guilt
Another wino burnt to death in his quilt
The ones that sit and gloat
Would you like to see some more?
But you can't give 'em hope
Walking down Madison
It's not that far
I can show you if you'd like to
The social won't pay 'em the money they're owed
Hypothermia kills 'cos the system is bent
Would you like to see some more?
Frozen lives for whom nothing's happening
With the airforce coat
The held out hand that you pay no respect to
See you give 'em your nickels
It's not that far
They're in a vicious circle of no fixed abode
To the bag lady frozen asleep in the park
Oh no, it's not that far
To the rats in the basement
Wouldn't do it just for fun
The beaming boy from Harlem
On the church steps
Checking out the bums
From an uptown apartment
From the sharks in the penthouse
Keep your head down low
From an uptown apartment
To the rats in the basement
Don't look at those freaks
I can show you if you'd like to
Walking down Madison
It's a cardboard city, newspaper metropolis
From an uptown apartment
The ones who died, the ones who tried
To a knife on the A train
To the rats in the basement
Hungry children is a mother's dilemma
The system can't cope or keep on top of this
From the sharks in the penthouse
The authorities come as you're not for display
Swear I never had a gun
I was only having fun
It's not that far
Your pennies and dimes
Oh no, it's not that far
It's not that far
To a knife on the A train
It's not that far
I swear I never had a gun
Checking out the nuns
So you walk on by like it doesn't affect you
When you get to the corner
To the rats in the basement
