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Baltimore Lyrics

Artist: Nina Simone

Beat-up little seagull
On a marble stair
Tryin' to find the ocean
Lookin' everywhere

Hard times in the city
In a hard town by the sea
Ain't nowhere to run to
There ain't nothin' here for free

Hooker on the corner
Waitin' for a train
Drunk lyin' on the sidewalk
Sleepin' in the rain

And they hide their faces
And they hide their eyes
'Cause the city's dyin'
And they don't know why

Oh, Baltimore
Man, it's hard just to live
Oh, Baltimore
Man, it's hard just to live, just to live

Get my sister Sandy
And my little brother Ray
Buy a big old wagon
Gonna haul us all away

Livin' in the country
Where the mountain's high
Never comin' back here
'Til the day I die

Oh, Baltimore
Man, it's hard just to live
Oh, Baltimore
Man, it's hard just to live, just to live

Comments/Interpretations

by Mike S on 7/6/2008 10:41pm
WOW...what a voice! poignant lyrics to be sure

by azkap on 8/23/2008 12:06pm
Yes, nice voice but Randy Newman wrote the tune.

by justin on 11/4/2008 9:57am
this would have made a great theme song for the show "the wire" which is set in baltimore

by DeirDre on 12/6/2008 1:09pm
I have bee looking for this song, literally......years

by Kendo on 5/14/2010 3:19pm
Is there any better song?

by David D on 11/28/2010 1:08pm
In the 70s, Nina Simone was one of the artsts we listened to most often while in college. Baltimore is a tough town. "Baltimore" is a fitting poem for the obituary for my murdered nephew.

by Dee on 11/4/2011 8:59am
This song is poignant because it explains the sentiment of many Baltimoreans...Wow if only our council people, legislature and mayor could relate. If ever you come to Baltimore you will see that the lyrics really reflect the city's downward spiral and decay.

by cwk415 on 9/2/2013 3:31pm
I changed this a little and I think these lyrics are more accurate:

Beat-up little seagull
On a marble stair
Tryin' to find the ocean
Lookin' everywhere

Hard times in the city
In a hard town by the sea
Ain't nowhere to run to
There aint nothin' here for free

Hooker on the corner
Waitin' for a train
Drunk lyin' on the sidewalk
Sleepin' in the rain

People hide their faces
And they hide their eyes
'Cause the city's dyin'
And they don't know why

Oh, Baltimore
Aint it hard just to live
Oh, Baltimore
Aint it hard just to live, just to live

Get my sister Sandy
And my little brother Ray
Buy a big old wagon
To haul us, all away

Live out in the country
Where the mountain's high
Never gon' come back here
'Til the day I die

Oh, Baltimore
Aint it hard just to live
Oh, Baltimore
Aint it hard just to live, just to live