He's got nothing to say, he's got no excuse
He's just made that way, and he's gonna stay that way
Like a dog on the loose in a firework display, in a world of his own
No, no, no, he won't back down or [bad word] back home [bad word] a long way in life
He's got a long way to go
And he don't even know, but he don't care because
He's growing up the hard way
In and out of trouble every day
He's growing up the hard way
No tellin' where you'll end up, boy
He's got nothing to say, like he's lost for words, his mind's in a daze
That's his way, it's just a little game he plays
He's got nowhere [bad word]  while the city sleeps he wanders alone
Cuttin' through the steel and the hearts of stone [bad word] a long way in life
He's got a long way to go
He don't even know, but he don't care because
He's growing up the hard way
In and out of trouble every day
Growing up the hard way
You'd better walk the straight and narrow
Growing up the hard way
In and out of trouble every day
Growing up the hard way
Never know what you're in for, boy [bad word] a long way in life
He's got a long way to go
He don't wanna know, and he don't care because
He's growing up the hard way
In and out of trouble every day
He's growing up the hard way
Yeah-and he's gonna stay that way
You see, he's growing up the hard way
Wlak the straight and narrow, yeah, maybe someday
But still he's growing up the hard way
It's just the way he's grown up
He's growing up the hard way
There ain't no other way
Growing up the hard way