Josie works the counter at the downtown five and dime
Anything at all to help her pass the time
Her mama keeps the baby and grandpa rambles on
About the good times playing in his mind

Its a hard life livin when youre lonely
Its a long night sleepin alone
Its a hard time waitin for tomorrow
Its a long, long way home

Josie spends the evening with the people in the pages
Of the paperback she picked up in the store
Or sometimes its the TV or shell try to write a letter
But they dont come too often anymore

Its a hard life livin when youre lonely
Its a long night sleepin alone
Its a hard time waitin for tomorrow
Its a long, long way home

And I stare at the gray walls before me
And I see her face in the stone
And I try to imagine our baby
And I wish they would let me go home
And I wish they would let me go home
And I wish they would let me go home

Its a hard life livin when youre lonely
And I wish they would let me go home
Its a long night sleepin alone
And I wish they would let me go home
Its a hard time waitin for tomorrow
And I wish they would let me go home
Its a long, long way home
And I wish they would let me go home
Its a long, long way home
And I wish they would let me go home
Bring me and the other boys home
And I wish they would let me go home
Bring me and the other boys home