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Allentown Lyrics By Billy Joel

    well we’re living here in allentown
    and they’re closing all the factories down
    out in bethlehem they’re killing time
    filling out forms standing in line

    well our fathers fought the second world war
    spent their weekends on the jersey shore
    met our mothers at the uso
    asked them to dance danced with them slow

    and we’re living here in allentown
    but the restlessness was handed down
    and it’s getting very hard to stay

    well we’re waiting here in allentown
    for the pennsylvania we never found
    for the promises our teachers gave
    if we worked hard if we behaved

    4
    so the graduations hang on the wall
    but they never really helped us at all
    no they never taught us what was real
    iron and coke chromium steel

    and we’re waiting here in allentown
    but they’ve taken all the coal from the ground
    and the union people crawled away

    every child had a pretty good shot
    to get at least as far as their old man got
    but something happened
    on the way to that place
    they threw an american flag in our face

    well i’m living here in allentown
    and it’s hard to keep a good man down
    but i won’t be getting up today

    and it’s getting very hard to stay
    and we’re living here in allentown

    Artist: Billy Joel

    Year: 1983

    Decade: 80s

    Language: en

    Word Count: 115