I grew up on the sly
In the gutters and the streets of Petersburg
Just a kid on the fly
Getting good at getting by in Petersburg
I've bartered for a blanket
Stolen for my bread
Learned to take my chances
And use my head
A Russian rat is clever
Clever or he ends up dead
Boils down to
There are some to survive, some who don't
Some give up, some give in, me I won't
Black and blue, welcome to my Petersburg
Standing here you can see
From the spires to the piers of Petersburg
I'll be down on that key
Selling stolen souvenirs of Petersburg
The palaces above and alleyways below
Funny when a city is all you know
How even when you hate it
Something in you loves it so
That's where I learned my stuff in some rough company
There's a boy growing up who was me
All I've been, all I'll be
We can do what we're told
We can go where we're led
But I learned from my father to see what's ahead
Nothing here to hold me, no one that I owe
Funny how a boy can grow
Funny how a city tells you when it's time to go
Boils down to
There are some who have walls yet to climb
You and I on the fly just in time
But tonight there's a sky and quite a view
Welcome to my Petersburg!