Billy Joel – Allentown

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 in 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

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 coal And 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 has 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 place

Well I'm living here in Allentown And it's hard to keep a good man down But I won't be giving up today

And we're living here in Allentown