I am just a poor boy; though my sto ry’s (Em7)sel dom (Am)told, I have (G)squan dered my re sis tance for a (G7)pock et ful of mum bles.

Such are (C)prom is es:

all (G)lies and (Am)jest.

Still, a man hears what he (F)wants to hear and dis re gards the rest.

Mm,

mm.

When I left my home and my fam i ly I was no more (Em7)than a boy in the com pa ny of stran gers in the (G7)qui et of the rail way sta tion, (C)run ning scared,

(G)lay ing (Am)low, seek ing out the poor er quar ters where the rag ged peo ple go, look ing for the plac es on ly they would (C)know.

Lie la lie,

lie la lie la lie la lie, lie la lie,

lie la lie la lie la lie, la la la la, (C)lie.

(C7)Ask ing on ly work man’s wag es I come look ing (Em7)for a job, but I get no of fers;

just a (G7)come on from the whores on Sev enth Av e nue.

I (G)do de clare, there were times when I was so lone some, I took some com fort there.

Ooh, la la la la la la la.

And I’m lay ing out my win ter clothes and wish ing I was (Am)gone, go ing home,

where the New York Cit y win ters are n’t (C)bleed ing me.

Lead ing me,

go ing home.

In the clear ing stands a box er, and a fight er (G)by his (Am)trade, and he car ries the re mind ers of (G7)ev er y glove that laid him down or (C)cut him ’til he cried out in his an ger and his shame, “I am (G)leav ing, I am (F)leav ing!” But the fight er still re mains.

(Bdim)Mm.

Lie la lie,

lie la lie la lie la lie, lie la lie,

lie la lie la lie la lie, la la la la, (Am)lie.

Lie la lie la lie la lie, lie la lie,

lie la lie la lie la lie, la la la la, (Am)lie.

Lie la lie la lie la lie, lie la lie,

lie la lie la lie la lie, la la la la, (C)lie.