I was walking around, just a face in the crowd 
Trying to keep myself out of the rain 
Saw a vagabond king wear a styrofoam crown 
Wondered if I might end up the same 
There's a man out on the corner 
Singing old songs about change 
Everybody's got their cross to bear, these days 

She came looking for some shelter with a suitcase full of dreams 
To a motel room on the boulevard 
I guess she's trying to be James Dean 
She's seen all the disciples and all the "wanna be's" 
No one wants to be themselves these days 
Still there's nothing to hold on to but these days 

These days - the stars hang out of reach 
These days - there ain't a ladder on the streets 
Oh no no
These days - are fast, nothing lasts, in this graceless age 
There ain't nobody left but us these days 

Jimmy shoes busted both his legs, trying to learn to fly 
From a second story window, he just jumped and closed his eyes 
His momma said he was crazy - he said momma "I've got to try" 
Don't you know that all my heroes died 
And I guess I'd rather die than fade away 

Yeah
These days - the stars hang out of reach, yeah 
These days - there ain't a ladder on the streets
Oh no no 
These days are fast, nothing lasts, it's a graceless age 
Even innocence has caught the midnight train 
There ain't nobody left but us these days 

I know Rome's still burning 
Though the times have changed 
This world keeps turning round and round and round and round 
These days 

These days - the stars hang out of reach, yeah 
But these days - there ain't a ladder on these streets
Oh no no 
These days are fast, love don't last - it's a graceless age 
Even innocence has caught the midnight train 
And there ain't nobody left but us these days 

These days - the stars hang out of reach, yeah 
These days - there ain't a ladder on these streets
Oh no no 
These days - are fast, nothing lasts 
There ain't no time to waste 
There ain't nobody left to take the blame 
There ain't nobody left but us these days