TRACK LISTING:

Side One

1.“How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?” 3:02
2.“Get Tough” 4:13
3.“Livin’ on Love” 4:14
4.“Double Life” 4:40
5.“I Play the Drums” 3:37

Side Two

1.“Burnin’ in the Flame of Love” 3:45
2.“Pledge of Love” 2:59
3.“Shame on You” 3:45
4.“Mercenary” 5:27
5.“Feel Like Going Home” 4:28

CD Version Only
11.“Wastin’ Time Talkin'” 2:34
12.“Love Among The Ruins” 3:20

SELECT AN ALBUM TO READ LYRICS AND TRACK LISTING:

Frontier Days (1984, EMI America)
Johnny Comes Marching Home (1986, EMI America)
Based On A True Story (1988, Enigma)
Lovers Who Wander (1990, Enigma)
Elvis Club (2013, Lakeside Lounge Records/GB Music)

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HOW CAN A POOR MAN STAND SUCH TIMES AND LIVE

How can a poor man stand such times and live?

Well, I give all I’ve got to give

I get my pay and say, “is this it?”

How can a poor man stand such times and live?

The doctor comes around with his face all bright

And he swears, in a little while, it’ll be alright

All he gives you is a humbug pill

A dose of dope and a great big bill

How can a poor man stand such times and live?

There once was a time when everything was cheap

But the prices nowadays nearly put the man to sleep

When we get out grocery bill

We feel like makin’ out our will

How can a poor man stand such times and live?

How can a poor man stand such times and live

Well, I give all I’ve got to give

I get my pay and say, “is this it?”

How can a poor man stand such times and live?

This poor boy’s got some big plans of his own

I’m gonna call up a coupla friends on the telephone

Tell ‘em, “Bring some records, bring some beer,

We can just hang out over here

How can a poor man stand such times and live

How can a poor man stand such times and live?

Well, I give all I’ve got to give

I get my pay and say, “is this it?”

How can a poor man stand such times and live?

By Blind Alfred Reed

©Peer International Corp.

Additional lyrics by Scott Kempner

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GET TOUGH

I live in the city

I’ve been up, down

But, usually I’m drowning in the middle

I’ve seen it all in the city

And, if they got it anywhere

Then we got it over here

No kidding

But, in time I’ve found

You can get nonchalant

About whatever come down

If the mobsters and the Mayor

Buddy buddy tight tight

Same damn thing any alley any night

The rich come first, the poor come last

The whole world sticks it to the middle class

You get tough

We’re in Beirut

Still in Nicaragua

We’re all over Asia and Europe

And today we’re in Granada

While over here

On the Lower East Side

The Pagans and The Skulls

Have invaded the turf of Los Diablos

Well, in time I’ve found

You can get nonchalant

About whatever come down

People starving in an African nation

People living in Grand Central Station

Families sleeping in a makeshift tent

The end of the month and

Once again I’m sweating rent

You get tough

Do you think I’m naïve

Yeah, well maybe

But, it’s a big world, I’m one guy

I ain’t gonna let it drive me crazy

But, I’ll shout as loud as I can

Because I care about every living boy, girl,

woman and man

And, in time I’ve found

I found

I found you get tough

You get tough

I found you get tough

You get tough

It don’t mean I don’t hate it

You get tough

It don’t mean I don’t hate it

You get tough

It don’t mean I don’t hate it
I hate it, hate it, hate it, hate it

Hate it, hate it

You get tough

By Scott Kempner

©Prince of the Bronx Music

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LIVIN’ ON LOVE

Once upon a time

I had a girl

And we swore we’d walk together

Through this whole world

And in a fit of passion

One day we tied the knot

And it was here we come real world

Ready or not, ready or not

We knew that we

Were bucking the odds

But we were young and in love

So we followed our hearts

we followed our hearts

She waited tables

And I drove a cab

And barely enough was all we had

We were livin’ on love

Livin’ on love

We were livin’ on love

It was the only thing we had plenty of

We were livin’ on love

We had bills upon bills

Piled past our heads

Livin’ on love

We had no money

We forgot ‘em instead

Livin’ on love

Then one day about two years on

Livin’ on love

I woke up one morning

And she was gone

Livin’ on, livin’ on love

I can’t really blame her

It was such a strain

Every loan shark in town

They knew our name

Yeah, they knew our name

But, I remember when we started

And the promise we made

It’s sad but true

But things happen that way

When you’re livin’ on love

We were livin’ on love

Livin’ on love

It was the only thing we had plenty of

We were livin’ on love

Livin’ on love

By Scott Kempner

©Prince of the Bronx Music

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DOUBLE LIFE

Yvonne is working 9 to 5

It pays the rent, keeps her alive

Come 2 o’clock

She’s already thinking about the night

At home she shakes off the day

And begins her double life

Get dressed, shoes on, let’s go

Step into the shelter of the night

Step into her double life

Bit by bit she unwinds

Into her double life

Her double life

Around 2am she stumbles in

Get some sleep, do it all again

At work five cups of coffee

Won’t wipe the sleep from her eyes

She won’t be wide awake

Till she begins her double life

Wash up, look sharp, let’s go

Silently she steps into the night

Steps into her double life

Bit by bit she unwinds

Into her double life

Her double life

No one’s sure just where she goes

Everynight in her sharpest clothes

Some say she rendezvous

With her loverboy uptown

They guess as her shadow fades

When the sun goes down

Yvonne, will you tell me

Tell me where you’re spending all your nights

All about your double life

Your double life

Double life

Double life, double life

Double life

Here we are tonight

In your double life

By Scott Kempner

©Prince of the Bronx

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I PLAY THE DRUMS

I hate my job

Really think this time I’m gonna quit

At home my mom and pop are fighting

I get so tired of it

Yeah, and it’s anything but fun

But instead of reaching for my gun

I play the drums

I got a pretty little baby now

She just turned 19

She lives across town

Ten minutes in my machine

But my motor won’t even hum

My gas gauge says that I got none

I play the drums

Instead of beating on my little brother’s face

I play the drums

Instead of taking an axe to the whole damn place

I play the drums

When I hate everyone

Instead of going for my gun

I play the drums

My neighbors are buggin’

I hear ‘em bangin’ on the wall

They can bang and scream all day

I don’t care at all

Cause they’ll live to see the morning sun

Cause instead of going for my gun

I play the drums

They’ll live to see the morning sun

I play the drums

By Scott Kempner

©Prince of the Bronx Music

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BURNIN’ IN THE FLAME OF LOVE

You’re looking at a man

Trying hard to make a stand

On his own, livin’ alone

I’ve been in love before

In and out of love before

My heart has been tossed around

All over this town

I was doing real good at not falling in love

When into my life walked you

But I should have known

Not to get so close

Cause now, I’m burnin’ in the flame of love

Once again I’m burnin’ in the flame of love

From the moment that I rise

Til I lay me down to sleep

Everywhere your face I see

And then in my dreams

There’s a ringin’ in my ears

There’s a poundin’ in my brain

My poor heart is racing

Racing blindly straight into love

I was doing real good at not falling in love

When into my life walked you

But I should have known

Not to get so close

Cause now, I’m burnin’ in the flame of love

Once again I’m burnin’ in the flame of love

I never thought I’d live to see the day when

I’d be burnin’ in the flame of love again

But I know what comes next

All the promises that will one day be broken

Hearts will be broken

And, ain’t I the perfect fool

Cause I know what love can do

But I still need to touch the fire

I still need to stand in the fire

But as time goes by, and the seasons turn

It’s a lesson I’ll never learn

Cause in my heart I knew

That when I got next to you

That I’d be burnin’ in the flame of love

Once again I’m burnin’ in the flame of love

By Scott Kempner

©Prince of the Bronx Music

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PLEDGE OF LOVE

I don’t care about our folks

Or if all our friends make jokes

Cause you and me were meant to be

Together for always

In the course of each man’s life

There comes a day he needs a wife

But if you’ll have me

If you’ll wear my ring

I will do my best for you

Oh babe, this is my pledge of love to you

I promise to love you

Stand by you

And always to be true

As God is my witness

Through health and in sickness

I’ve been all around this world

Lookin’ for my special girl

Now, here today I can say

That now my search is through

Oh babe, this is my pledge of love to you

I promise to love you

Stand by you

And always to be true

I promise to be there

When you need me

If you wanna be alone

Baby, you won’t see me

Oh babe, this is my pledge of love

By Scott Kempner

©Prince of the Bronx

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SHAME ON YOU

Well maybe this is the wrong time

For me to bring this up again

But I thought you were my friend

Don’t be so mystifying

It’s obvious that you’ve been lying

And I could never look at you the same

Such a coward, such a shame

Shame on you

Well, you don’t see me around now

I’m not downtown too much these days

I try to stay away

I don’t wanna answer no questions

I don’t wanna hear no suggestions

I’m a little bit embarrassed by the truth

And I’m really ashamed of you

Shame on you

Well, who would’ve thought after all we’ve learned

You’d kick me out and just watch me burn

Well, it’s a little bit hard for me to take

Yeah, I counted on you, you could count on me

And that’s a kind of responsibility

Congratulations on disgracing the family name

Forevermore in shame

Shame on you

By Scott Kempner

©Prince of the Bronx Music
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MERCENARY

Well, I’m a stranger in this jungleland

Le Crazy Americain

The natives speak my name in fear

But with my semi-automatic, man, they know I’m here

Mercenary, get your gun (load ‘em up)

Mercenary

Well, I’ll see you in a week

Down in Costa Rica

Well, I’m a soldier of fortune if the price is right

In brightest day, in blackest night

The rebels have my sentiment

But, I’m being paid by the government

Mercenary, get your gun (only 21 – poor boy)

Mercenary

Well, I’ll see you in a week

Down in Costa Rica

I’m just outside the rebel camp

The air is thick, the ground is damp

One false move could mean my life

Well, it’s a dirty job, but the money’s nice

Mercenary

See you in a week

Down in Costa Rica

See you in a week

Down in Costa Rica

See you in a week

Down in Costa Rica

By Scott Kempner

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FEEL LIKE GOING HOME

I looked out the window

But all the land was dark

I asked no one in particular

“Where do you think we are”

Well, we’re somewhere

On a great highway in America

200 miles from nowhere

On a great highway in America

I’ve been asleep for hours

But I don’t feel like I got any rest

I’m lonesome for the woman I love

It just adds to this restlessness

Is she thinking of me

On this great highway in America

A starless black sky and me

Somewhere in America

I can feel the chill of lost and alone

And I feel like going home

I feel like going home

There’s nothing I can do

It just ain’t that easy, man

There’s a job to do

No matter how I ache

No matter how I long for you

I feel like going home

Nothing I can do

Out of the east

Light breaks off the morning sun

There’s a dim crescent moon on the run

And it takes my breath away

This brand new day in America

Still I miss her and I wish

We were in the same place

Anyplace in America

I can feel the chill of lost and alone

And I feel like going home

I can feel the chill of lost and alone

And I feel like going home

By Scott Kempner

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WASTIN’ TIME TALKIN’

You say I play my record too loud

You think I run with a sleazy crowd

You hate my friends

You hate my chick

Everything I do, man, makes you sick

Wastin’ time talkin’ to you now, mister

Wastin’ time talking’ to you now, Dad

Wastin’ time talkin’ to you now, mister

We’re gonna have it out, man to man

At work my boss is a mean old man

Gets back at the world wherever he can

Lately he’s been shootin’ dirty looks my way

I can tell me and him are gonna have our day

Wastin’ time talkin’ to you now, mister

Wastin’ time talking’ to you now, bossman

Wastin’ time talkin’ to you now, mister

We’re gonna have it out, man to man

There’s a guy on my block

Real dumb and loud

Runs with a semi-criminal crowd

Sometimes he bugs me on my way home

One day I’m gonna meet him

When he’s all alone

Wastin’ time talkin’ to you now, mister

Wastin’ time talking’ to you now, Sam

Wastin’ time talkin’ to you now, mister

We’re gonna have it out, man to man

All day long everything goes wrong

It gets so hard to take

Like everybody’s carrying a ton of shit

And they all wanna dump it my way

Hey! Hey! Hey!

Friday night I go downtown

Straight to the Rockhouse

To dig some sounds

Creep at the door wouldn’t let me in

My blue suede shoes don’t suit him

Wastin’ time talkin’ to you now, mister

Wastin’ time talking’ to you now, man

Wastin’ time talkin’ to you now, mister

We’re gonna have it out, man to man

Wastin’ time talkin’ to you now, mister

Wastin’ time talking’ to you now, man

Wastin’ time talkin’ to you now, mister

We’re gonna have it out, man to man

by Scott Kempner

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LOVE AMONG THE RUINS

The weather’s getting colder

The landlord says the boiler’s broke down

I can feel myself getting older

Livin’ in sin, livin’ downtown

Among the ruins

Well I’ve been workin’ nights

I hardly see my baby

I hardly see the light

Boil some water for shavin’

Forget altogether about washin’ my hair

Tonight we’ll go over to my sister’s

And do our bathing there

Love among the ruins

But when my ship comes in

Baby and me are gonna live like people again

The morning sunlight

Perforates the abandoned buildings

Baby sleeps in a cage of light

Plaster fallin’ from the ceiling

There’s a wino in the hallway

Another lost soul come in from the cold

He thinks he’s found the gates of Eden

It once was here

It’s since been sold

It’s now the ruins

You gotta make your own paradise

When baby wakes up

We’ll put the world on ice

Love among the ruins

Well, I’ve been workin’ nights

I hardly see my baby

I hardly see the light

Love among the ruins

But, when my ship comes in

Baby and me, we’re gonna live like people again

Love among the ruins

By Scott Kempner