Close to the Borderline

Blackout, heatwave, .44 caliber homicide
 The bums drop dead and the dogs go mad
 In packs on the west side
 Young girl standing on a ledge looks like another suicide
 She wants to hit those bricks
 'Cause the news at six gotta stick to a deadline
 While the millionaires hide in Beekman Place
 The bag ladies throw their bones in my face
 I get attacked by a kid with stereo sound
 I don't want to hear it but he won't turn it down
 Life is tough but it's just enough
 To hold back the tears until it's closing time
 I survived, I'm still alive
 But I'm getting close to the borderline
 Close to the borderline
 A buck three eighty
 Won't buy you much lately on the street these days
 And when you can get gas
 You know you can't drive fast anymore on the parkways
 Rich man, poor man, either way American
 Shoved into the lost and found
 The no nukes yell we're gonna all go to hell
 With the next big meltdown
 I got remote control and a color TV
 I don't change channels so they must change me
 I got real close friends that are gettin' me high
 They don't know how to talk and they ain't gonna try
 I shouldn't bitch, I shouldn't cry
 I'd start a revolution but I don't have time
 I don't know why I'm still a nice guy
 But I'm getting closer to the borderline
 Close to the borderline
 I thought I'd sacrifice so many things
 I thought I'd throw them all away
 I didn't think I needed anything
 But you can't afford to squander what you're not prepared to pay
 ♪
 I need a doctor for my pressure pills
 I need a lawyer for my medical bills
 I need a banker to finance my home
 But I need security to back my loan
 It isn't new what I'm going through
 But everybody knows you got to break sometime
 Another night I fought the good fight
 But I'm getting closer to the borderline
 Closer to the borderline
 Closer to the borderline
 Closer to the borderline
 Closer to the borderline
 To the borderline