Intro:
I don't want a lot i want just enough
So why has it got to be so damn tough
Livin' on the uptown side of jive
Hustlin' a buck to stay alive
Lookin' for a ten and they give your five
Well it's tough
You talk to the boss the boss is gruff
You ask for a raise and they call your bluff
You may get some but it's never enough
Because it's tough
Strong: like a magnum force
Rough: like a new divorce
Mean: like a three-time loser
Bad: like an l.a. cruiser
Down: like a limousine
Blind: like a submarine
Hard: like cold concrete
Tough: that's the rhythm of the beat
You hit the street and you look for work
You don't want to be some welfare jerk
But i wonder how you get to be captain kirk
It's tough
Now kirk has a ship called the enterprise
He cuts the aliens down to size
But i wonder what he'd do with the uptown guys
They're tough
Tough:
Try to get some cash
When you're looking for a raise and they give you trash
Rough:
When you got it like that
And your woman's running 'round with a baseball bat
Hard:
Try to play it cool when the girl's all know you're an out of work fool
Tough:
How it seems to be, wish i had somebody lookin' out for me
Try to find a lover if you dare
Even if you do she just won't care
Well no one ever said that that life is fair
Because it's tough
Saw a fine young lady the other day
I started my rap, i had a lot to say
But she said she was goin' with a c.p.a.
Now it's tough
Strong: like a superhero
Rough: like a bank book zero
Mean: like the oakland raiders
Bad: like the caped crusaders
Down: like a homerun ball
Blind: like an umpire's call
Hard: like a cruel deceit
Tough: that's the rhythm of the beat
You worked all year to buy a brand new car
A coupe de ville or a jaguar
But you didn't make enough for a good cigar
Because it's tough
So you went to the bank to try to get a loan
But the guy behind the desk had a heart os stone
He said "you don't need a car, use the telephone!"
It's tough
Tough:
It's a way of life, lost your job
Your money, but not your wife
Rough:
Gettin' in the black, uncle sam's in your pocket
And your woman's on your back
Hard:
That's the deal, had to get a loan just to buy a meal
Tough:
That's how it goes, when it's gettin' better, nobody knows
Strong: like chocolate thunder
Rough: like stevie wonder
Mean: like brucie the shark
Bad: like the raider's ark
Down: like sugar's glove
Blind: like a man in love
Hard: like a big defeat
Tough: that's the rhythm of the beat
Tough: that's the word, unemployment is all i heard
Rough: when you start your day, watch the finance man tow your car away
Hard: to hold a job when you've been replaced by a little blue knob
Tough: like a dollar steak, ain't someone ever gonna give me a break
Tough...