It's cold in the alley and it's cold upon the stair
And he's got to keep on running but he knows he'll never get there
The long night is cruel he can never go home
And he's out on the street and he's feeling so alone

Oh lord he is a desperate man
They've used him, abused him and fooled him again
Oh lord he is a desperate man
Oh lord he's a desperate man

Three kids between one and five and another on the way
And his poor little lovely she looked older every day
Thinks of all the chances that he lost upon the way
Opportunities have vanished like a needle in the hay

Oh lord he is a desperate man
They've used him, abused him and fooled him again
Oh lord he is a desperate man
Oh lord he's a desperate man

The street's running empty and it's getting so late
Your man stands in the shadows but how long can he wait?
Cold consolation in a cheap bottle of wine
And the future fades and withers as he slips further in decline

Oh lord he is a desperate man
They've used him, abused him and fooled him again
Oh lord he is a desperate man
Oh lord he's a desperate man