Clerks at the hotels don't take a chance
Rooms for three dollars pay in advance
Sleep on a mattress, you might get a sheet
But you'd be surprised at the people you meet
Telling their tales of trouble and woe
'Bout how they got down here to skid row
Minnie the moocher begging for dimes
Her life has fallen on difficult times
She was a teacher, got strung out on crack
Went out so far 'til she never got back
When she started teaching, she didn't know