E     = 022100    B6     = x24444
F#m/E = xx2222    F#m/B  = x22222
Em7   = xx2433    E/D    = xx0454
A6    = x02222    C#m7-5 = x42000
A     = x02220    C      = x35553

A#     = 688766
A#7/G# = xx6766
G      = 355433
F      = 133211
h  = Hammer-on note
[Intro]
e |--------------|
B |--------------|
G |--------------|
D |--------2-----|
A |--2-h4----4---|
E |--------------|
     E       F#m/E  Em7   F#m/E   x2
[Estrofa]
E                 F#m/E    Em7                F#m/E 
   A boy is born,       in hard time Missis - sippi, 
E                 F#m/E      Em7                 F#m/E 
   Surrounded by,       four walls that ain't so pretty, 
E                   F#m/E     Em7           F#m/E 
   His parents give,      him love and af - fection, 
E                     F#m/E       Em7               F#m/E 
   To keep him strong,     moving in the right di - rection, 
       A6       A       B6       F#m/B 
Living just e - nough,  just e - nough, 
        E    F#m/E Em7           F#m/E 
For the city                Yah!
[Estrofa]
E                   F#m/E      Em7               F#m/E 
   His father works,      some days for fourteen hours, 
E                   F#m/E      Em7            F#m/E 
   And you can bet,         he barely makes a dollar, 
E                   F#m/E      Em7                  F#m/E 
   His mother goes,         to scrub the floors for many, 
E                          F#m/E     Em7           F#m/E 
   And you'd best believe,       she hardly gets a penny, 
       A6       A       B6       F#m/B 
Living just e - nough,  just e - nough, 
        E    F#m/E Em7           F#m/E 
For the city              Yeah!
[Medio]
             E/D           C#m7-5 
Na -na, na!  Na,   na, na, na  
C                       A# 
Na -na, na -na, na, na -na! 
A#7/G#      G        F               E 
Na, na, na, na       Na -na, na -na, na 
[Estrofa]
     E                    F#m/E    Em7              F#m/E 
Woo!   His sister's black,     but she is sho' nuff pretty, 
E                      F#m/E       Em7                F#m/E 
   Her skirt is short,        but, Lord, her legs are sturdy, 
E                      F#m/E       Em7           F#m/E 
   To walk to school,        she's got to get up early, 
E                      F#m/E       Em7            F#m/E 
   Her clothes are old,        but never are they dirty, 
       A6       A        B6      F#m/B 
Living just e - nough,  just e - nough, 
        E     F#m/E Em7     F#m/E 
For the city                       Hummm!
[Estrofa]
E                      F#m/E      Em7                 F#m/E 
   Her brother's smart,      he's got more sense than many, 
E                      F#m/E      Em7                F#m/E 
   His patience's long,       but soon he won't have any, 
E                 F#m/E     Em7             F#m/E 
   To find a job,        is like a haystack needle, 
E                        F#m/E      Em7                F#m/E 
   'Cause where he lives,      they don't use coloured people, 
       A6       A      B6       F#m/B 
Living just e - nough, just e - nough, 
        E    F#m/E Em7   F#m/E    E   F#m/E  Em7 
For the city                                       Yeah!
[Medio]
             E/D           C#m7-5 
Na -na, na!  Na--, na, na, na  
C                       A# 
Na -na, na -na, na, na -na! 
A#7/G#      G        F               E 
Na, na, na, na       Na -na, na -na, na 
[Puente]
   E       F#m/E  Em7   F#m/E 
  
 E         F#m/E    Em7               F#m/E 
Living ...just e - nough, ...for the city! Woh -oh!
[Medio]
             E/D           C#m7-5 
Na -na, na!  Na--, na, na, na  
C                       A# 
Na -na, na -na, na, na -na! 
A#7/G#      G        F               E 
Na, na, na, na       Na -na, na -na, na 
[Narrative break]
 
"Bus for New York City!"
"Hey, bus driver! I'm getting on that, hold it!
Thanks a lot."
 
"Wow,...New York, just like I pictured it,
...skyscrapers and everything!"
 
"Pssst! Hey, hey, brother! Hey, come here, slick!"
"Huh?"
"Hey, you look... you look hip, man!
Hey, you wanna make yourself five bucks, man?"
"Yeah, brother!"
"Look here, run this across the street for me right quick.
Okay?  Right across town!"
 
"Alright, hands on that goddam car! Let's go!"
"I didn't know! ...What?"
"Gimme your hands up, you punk!"
"I'm just going across the street!"
"Put that leg up!" "Shut your mouth!"
"Oh, no! What'd I do?"
"Okay, turn around, turn around!
Put your hands behind your back! Let's go, let's go!"
 
"A jury of your peers having found you guilty, ...ten years!"
"What?"
 
"Come on, ...come on, get in that cell, nigga!"
"God, ...lord!"
[Estrofa]
E                   F#m/E     Em7               F#m/E 
   His hair is long,      his feet are hard and gritty, 
E                       F#m/E       Em7                 F#m/E 
   He spends his life,  walking the streets of New York City, 
E                   F#m/E      Em7                    F#m/E 
   He's almost dead,      from breathing in air pol - lution, 
E                   F#m/E        Em7                 F#m/E 
   He tried to vote,      but to him there's no so - lution, 
       A6       A       B6       F#m/B 
Living just e - nough,  just e - nough, 
        E     F#m/E Em7      F#m/E 
For the city 
[Estrofa]
E                   F#m/E       Em7              F#m/E 
   I hope you hear,        in - side my voice of sorrow, 
E                        F#m/E  Em7                F#m/E 
   And that it motivates you to make a better to - morrow, 
E                      F#m/E    Em7                 F#m/E 
   This place is cruel,      no where could be much colder, 
E                      F#m/E    Em7                F#m/E 
   If we don't change,      the world will soon be over, 
       A6       A 
Living just e - nough, 
            B6   B6  F#m/B            F#m/B E 
Stop giving just e - nough ...for the ci  - ty!
[Medio]
             E/D           C#m7-5 
Na -na, na!  Na--, na, na, na  
C                       A# 
Na -na, na -na, na, na -na! 
A#7/G#      G        F               E 
Na, na, na, na       Na -na, na -na, na  
             E/D           C#m7-5 
Na -na, na!  Na    na, na, na 
C                       A# 
Na -na, na -na, na, na -na! 
A#7/G#      G        F               E 
Na, na, na, na      Na -na, na -na, na
[Outro]
             E/D           C#m7-5 
Na -na, na!  Na    na, na, na  
C                       A# 
Na -na, na -na, na, na -na! 
A#7/G#      G       F 
Na, na, na, na      Oh    oh    oh  
    F                     F 
No, no    no,no      No   no  no no  
    F 
No, no    no,no