In the coldness of the city where the neon sleeps
The streets show the pity and the nights run deep
And every shadow seems to hold a hidden story
And every heart, oh, is a refugee
And the old ones hope and the lost ones scream
The hustlers float and the young ones dream
In the city livin' in the soul of the city
And the streets cry, freedom, do you stand or retreat?
As you stare by the neon Gods above
While you bask in the heat
And the streets cry freedom as the blood runs cold
As you stare into the eyes of the walking ghosts
Who've lost their souls
In the summer's heat I'm weary in the soul of the city
Potential's burning bright in the Harlem halls
Have you ever lived looking down a shotgun barrel
When they said hey boy, this ain't your home
There ain't no cure for the bleeding heart
'Cause when you fall
There's no second start in the city
There'll always be the soul of the city
And the streets cry freedom as it burns in the heat
As you stare by the neon Gods above
While you bask in the heat
And the streets cry freedom as the blood runs cold
You stare into the eyes of the walking ghosts
Who've lost their souls
There is no reason for livin' in sin
I don't believe when they say, "Hey boy, you better give in"
You know I'll fight for what I know till the day that I die
'Cause I'm better off dead then buried along with my pride
And the streets cry freedom
Till the day that I die, yeah
Till the day that I die
And the streets cry freedom
Till the day that I die, yeah
Till the day that I die, yeah
Till the day that I die
Till the day that I die
Die, die, die, die, oh
Streets cry freedom
Potential's burning bright
Till the day that I die
Till the day that I die
Till the day that I die
Till the day that I die