Dirty Old Town - David Byrne

Well, there are sixteen people in Danny’s apartment

Sixteen people are living in there

Remember the days of rent control

Grandpa remembers rock and roll

These days won’t last forever

These days won’t last for long

You know, somebody somewhere owes us a favor

That’s how things really get done

In this World of Opportunities, it’s a Land of Possibilities

We wanna live in a dirty old town

Building it up, tearing us down

With our head in the clouds and our feet on the ground

We wanna live — dirty old town

Dirty old town

Now when the ladies come from Kansas

They wear their traditional colors

Today the fabrics are ragged and torn

The clothes on their backs is all that they own

They say, «Don't draw attention to yourself

They’ll tear you apart for a couple of bucks

Keep you head down and keep you nose clean

'Cause people who’re scared do dangerous things»

These days can’t last forever

These days can’t last for long

You know someday things’ll get better

Somehow things’ll get done

In this World of Possibilities, it’s the Land of Opportunities

We wanna live in a dirty old town

Building it up, tearing us down

With our head in the clouds and our feet on the ground

We wanna live — dirty old town

Dirty old town

These days shoes are worn only on special occasions

Battles are fought for fam’ly and nations

Maybe you’ll pray, but God isn’t home

And there’s no guarantee that justice be done

We wanna live in a dirty old town

Building it up, tearing us down

With our head in the clouds and our feet on the ground

We wanna live — dirty old town

Dirty old town