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