Crime In The City
Neil Young & Crazy Horse (Live) Lyrics

Well, the cop made the showdown
The cop initiated the confrontation

He was sure he was right
He was confident in his actions

He had all of the lowdown
He knew all the details

From the bank heist last night
About the robbery from the previous night

His best friend was the robber
The cop's friend was the criminal

And his wife was a thief
The cop's wife was also involved in criminal activities

All the children were killers
Even the children were violent

They couldn't get no relief
They had no escape from their criminal lifestyle

The bungalow was surrounded
The police had surrounded the house

When a voice loud and clear
Someone spoke clearly

Said, Come on out with your hands up
Commands to surrender

Or we'll blow you out of here.
The police threatened to use force

There was a face in the window
Someone appeared in the window

The TV cameras rolled
The event was being broadcasted on TV

Then they cut to the announcer
The broadcast switched to the presenter

And the story was told.
The events were recounted on the news

The artist looked at the producer
The musician stared at the producer

The producer sat back
The producer relaxed

He said, What we have got here
The producer began speaking

Is a perfect track
The music is great

But we don't have a vocal
There are no lyrics

And we don't have a song
There is no complete composition

If we could get these things accomplished
If we can finish writing the song

Nothin' else could go wrong.
Everything would be perfect

So he balanced the ashtray
He adjusts the ashtray

As he picked up the phone
He answers a call

And said, Send me a songwriter
He requests a songwriter

Who's drifted far from home
Someone who has traveled a lot

And make sure that he's hungry
Ensure that he has an incentive to work

Make sure he's alone
So he can focus on the task

Send me a cheeseburger
He orders some food

And a new Rolling Stone.
He wants the latest issue of the magazine

Yeah.
Expressing affirmation

There's still crime in the city,
There is still illegal activity

Said the cop on the beat,
As reported by the police officer

I don't know if I can stop it
The cop is uncertain if they can prevent it

I feel like meat on the street
The cop feels vulnerable

They paint my car like a target
His car is a target for violence

I take my orders from fools
The orders he receives are foolish

Meanwhile some kid blows my head off
A child fatally injures him

Well, I play by their rules
The cop follows regulations

That's why I'm doin' it my way
He prefers to operate independently

I took the law in my hands
He chose to disregard procedures

So here I am in the alleyway
He is in an urban alley

A wad of cash in my pants
His pants have money in them

I get paid by a ten year old
A child pays him money

He says he looks up to me
The child respects him

There's still crime in the city
They still operate under illegal activities

But it's good to be free.
He enjoys operating independently

Yeah.
Expressing affirmation

Now I come from a family
He narrates his background

That has a broken home
His family is dysfunctional

Sometimes I talk to Daddy
He communicates with his father

On the telephone
Over the phone

When he says that he loves me
His father expresses love

I know that he does
He believes his father truly loves him

But I wish I could see him
He wishes to see his father

I wish I knew where he was
He desires knowledge of his father's location

But that's the way all my friends are
His friends also experience similar circumstances

Except maybe one or two
Others have a different situation

Wish I could see him this weekend
He wants to meet his father soon

Wish I could walk in his shoes
He wants to know his father's experiences

But now I'm doin' my own thing
He leads his own life

Sometimes I'm good, then I'm bad
He fluctuates in his behavior

Although my home has been broken
Despite his family's condition

It's the best home I ever had
It still feels like home

Yeah.
Expressing affirmation

Well, I keep gettin' younger
He feels younger despite aging

My life's been funny that way
His life has been peculiar

Before I ever learned to talk
Before he learned to speak

I forgot what to say
He lost the words

I sassed back to my mom
He talked back to his mother

I sassed back to my teacher
He talked back to his teacher

I got thrown out of Bible school
He was expelled from school

For sassin' back at the preacher
For disrespecting the minister

Then I grew up to be a fireman
He became a firefighter

Put out every fire in town
He extinguished all the fires in the locality

Put out anything smokin'
He puts out anything that smokes

But when I put the hose down
When he stops using the hose

The judge sent me to prison
The judge sentenced him to prison

He gave me life without parole
He was given a life sentence

Wish I never put the hose down
Regretting his past actions

Wish I never got old.
Regretting growing old