My Hometown (Live at St. Rose of Lima School, Freehold, NJ - 11/8/1996)

I was eight years old and running with a dime in my hand

Into the bus stop to pick up a paper for my old man

I'd sit on his lap in that big old Buick and steer as we drove through town

He'd tousle my hair and say, "Son, take a good look around

This is your hometown"

It's your hometown

It's your hometown

It's your hometown

In '65, tension was running high at my high school

There were a lot of fights between the black and white, there was nothing you could do

Two cars at a light on a Saturday night, in the backseat there was a gun

Words were passed, a shotgun blast troubled times had come

To my hometown

To my hometown

To my hometown

To my hometown

Well, Main Street's whitewashed windows and vacant stores

It Seems like there ain't nobody wants to come down here no more

They're closing down the textile mill across the railroad tracks

Foreman says, these jobs are going, boys, and they ain't coming back

To your hometown

To your hometown

To your hometown

To your hometown

Last night me and Kate, we laid in bed, talking about getting out

Packing up our bags, maybe heading South

I'm 35, we got a boy of our own now

Last night, I sat him up behind the wheel and said, "Son, take a good look around

"This is your hometown"

It's your hometown

It's your hometown

It's your hometown

It's your hometown

It's your hometown

It's your hometown

It's your hometown

Thank you