I was eight years old
And runnin' 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
This is your hometown
This is your hometown
This is your hometown
In '65
Tension was runnin' high
at my high school
There was a lot of fights
between the black and white
There was nothin' you could do
Two cars at a light
on a Saturday night
In the back seat
there was a gun
Words were passed
in a shotgun blast
Troubled times had come
to my hometown
My hometown
My hometown
My hometown
Now Main Street's
white-washed windows
and vacant stores
Seems like there ain't nobody
wants to come
down here no more
They're closin' down
the textile mill
across the railroad tracks
Foreman says these jobs
are goin' boys
And they ain't comin' back
to your hometown
Your hometown
Your hometown
Your hometown
Last night me and Kate
We laid in bed
talkin' about gettin' out
Packin' up
our bags maybe
headin' south
I'm thirty-five
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