Concrete Ain’t Grass

[Intro] [Soft guitar and harmonica] He stepped off the train at Hudson Yard, boots dusty, heart heavy, hat too wide for the city sky. Back home, the wind ran wild and free. Here, it hit brick and died. [Verse 1] I rode that rail from the plains to the stone Where no one talks and you’re always alone Boots clickin’ on sidewalks slick with rain Feelin’ more like a ghost than a man with a name [Verse 2] They look at my hat like I walked outta time Ain’t no saloons, just towers and grime Rented a room near the cold East pier Where the moon hides out and the nights ain’t clear [Chorus] Concrete ain’t grass and towers ain’t trees Can’t breathe right here, can’t bend my knees The prairie’s gone and the sky don’t last I’m a lonesome hand where the crowds move fast [Verse 3] Dream of the range where the longhorn run Where the wind don’t quit and the work gets done Now I dodge carriages, chimneys, and men With pockets full of smoke and not a true friend [Bridge] Saw a girl in lace by a Bowery wall She smiled at first, then not at all Said, “You don’t belong,” and turned her face I tipped my hat and left that place [Verse 4] Now I sit by the glass where the fog rolls through Ain’t seen a star since the sky turned blue If I scrape up fare, I’ll ride back west Where a man’s judged more by his sweat than his vest [Final Chorus] Concrete ain’t grass and stone don’t bend This city don’t break, but it sure don’t mend I was born to the dirt and the wide, wild track And I swear on my soul I’m headin’ back [Outro] [Harmonica fades slow like wind over sage. Distant bell tolls once. Then silence.]