On the Dark Streets Below

Slow down, little girl
You've lost your way in this world
Slow down, and start again
You'll feel much better in the end

Annie's always been a live one, says the matroness
She never cries she never lets her sorrow get the best of her
She makes a kind of music of the buttons popping off her dress
She knows that's just the way it goes
On the dark streets below

Adelle came from a decent town, scraped by for first month's rent
Guessed with her brain she could find a job in management
She showed promise in algebra but now her talent's spent
On other people's dough
On the dark streets below

So get up kid
You're not licked yet
I never knew a time
When you wouldn't take a bet

Slow down, little girl
You've lost your way in this world
Slow down, start again
You'll feel much better in the end

August from the old country, came over on a ship
It was like a floating oil drum, had barely made the trip
She knew that she'd been screwed as soon she'd pulled up to the spit
Now she knows (Girls like her don't go)
The dark streets below
These folks got nowhere left to go
But the dark streets below
The dark streets below
The dark streets below
The dark streets below
The dark streets below