Lou Rawls - Dead End Street Monologue lyrics

I was born in a city the called the Windy City And they called it the Windy City because of the Hawk. The hawk. The all mighty Hawk Mr. Wind Takes care of plenty business around winter time The place that I lived in Was on a street that a Happened to be one of the dead-end streets Where there was nothing to block The wind, the elements Nothing to buffer them for me to Keep them from knocking my pad down, you know I mean really socking it to me When the boiler would bust and the heat was gone I would have to get fully dressed before I could go the bed Cause I couldn't put on my goulashes cause they had buckles on them And my folks didn't play that They said "don't you tear up my bed clothes with some goulashes on" But I was fortunate As soon as I was big enough to get a job save enough money To get a ticket to catch anything I split I said one day I'm going to return And I'm going to straighten it all out And I'm about ready to go back now So I thought I'd tell ya about it ---------- They say this is a big rich town But I live in the poorest part I know I'm on a dead-end street In a city without a heart I learned to fight before I was six The only way I could get along But when you're raised on a dead-end street You've got to be tough and strong Now all the guys I know are getting in trouble That's how its always been When the odds are all against you How can you win, yeah, yeah, yeah I'm going to push my way out of here Even though I can't say when But I'm going to get off of this dead-end street And I ain't never going to come back again Never No, no, no I'm going to push my way out of here Even though I can't say when But I'm going to get off of this dead-end street And I ain't going to never come back again No, no, no I ain't going to come back to this city street no more No - Cause I'm going to get me a job I'm going to save my dough Get away from here I ain't going to come back no more I'm tired of a dead-end street I want to get out in the world and learn something I'm tired of breaking my back I want to start using my mind