Rickie Lee Jones - Subterranean Homesick Blues lyrics

Johnny's in the basement
Mixing up the medicine i'm on the pavement
Thinking about the government
A man in a trench coat badge out, laid off
Says he's got a bad cough
Wants to get it paid off look out kid
It's something you did god knows when
But, you're doing it again
You better duck down the alley way
Looking for a new fool
Man in the coon-skin cap in a big pen
Wants eleven dollar bills you only got ten
Maggie come fleet foot
Face full of black soot
Talking that the heat put
The plants in the bed but
The phone's tapped anyway
Maggie says that many say
They must bust in early May
Orders from the DA look out kid
It's something you did walk on your tiptoes
Don't try "No-Doz"
Better stay away from those
That carry around a fire hose
Keep a clean nose watch the plain clothes
You don't need a weatherman
To know which way the wind blows

Get sick, get well hang around a ink well
Ring bell, hard to tell
If anything is gonna sell
Try hard, get barred get back, write braille
Get jailed, jump bail
Join the army, if you fail look out kid
You're gonna get hit by losers, cheaters
Six-time users hang around the theaters
The girl by the whirlpool
Looking for a new fool don't follow leaders
And watch the parking meters

Get born, keep warm
Short pants, romance, learn to dance
Get dressed, get blessed try to be a success
Please her, please, him, buy gifts
Don't steal, don't lift
Twenty years of schooling
And they put you on the day shift
Look out kid they keep it all hid
Jump down a manhole light yourself a candle
Don't wear sandals try to avoid the scandals
Don't wanna be a bum you better chew gum
The pump don't work
'Cause the vandals took the handles