[Intro] [Messy drum roll, feedback, a fast bluesy piano lick] [Shout: "Charlie! He's gonna blow it!"] [Verse 1] Backstreets of the city, saints on the wall — look out! Johnny Boy’s dancing, waiting for the fall — boom! Charlie’s got the guilt, praying in the flame In this neighborhood, kid, everyone’s the same — pay the debt! A mailbox explodes in the middle of the night — watch it! Running from the sharks in the neon light — move! Small time hoods with a big time dream Nothing’s ever quite as holy as it seems — forget it! [Chorus] Mean streets are calling, yeah! The altar is falling, ugh! In the shadow of the church, in the heat of the bar You can’t run away from the man you are Oh — just a neighborhood thing, c'mon! Oh — hear the sirens sing, mercy! [Bridge] [Guitar solo — very loose, lots of slides, sounding like it’s about to fall apart] [Ad-libs: "Tony! Another round! No credits! Get out of here!"] [Verse 2] The festival is loud, the money’s in the hat — greed! You owe the man a favor, and that is that — snap! A car chase in the dark, a bullet in the glass Watching all the glory and the penance pass — it’s over! [Outro] [Piano fades out with a melancholy melody, guitar feedback remains] You don't pay for your sins in the church... You pay on the street... Yeah... you pay... [End]
