Janis Ian This Old Town Lyrics

This old town should have burned down in 1929 That's when we stood in line, waiting for our soup while swallowing our pride This old town should have burned down in 1931 when the rain refused to come Air filled up our bellies Dust filled up our lungs, and we thought our time had come

But this old town was built by hand in the dustbowl of the motherland There must be rock beneath this sand I'll be damned - this town still stands

This old town should have burned down in 1944 when the last man went to war They came back different, if they came back at all This old town should have burned down in 1956 That's when the twister hit All our hopes lay buried beneath the boards and bricks, and we almost called it quits
But this old town was built by hand in the dustbowl of the motherland There must be rock beneath this sand I'll be damned - this town still stands

Somewhere in the distance the city lights do shine Sidewalks gleam with neon dreams that call from time to time When my children's children ask me why I didn't go I'll say - The heart of any town is the people that you've known, and they always call you home

This old town was built by hand In the dustbowl of the motherland There is be rock beneath the sand I'll be damned - this town still stands