[Verse 1]
It's hard to make love in this city
With your free-loading family around
With your momma and your daddy
And your sister who's so chatty
Watching every move I take
And your auntie who's so batty
Grabs every buck I make
And your uncle in that ratty jacket
Be rich by now if only had he taken my advice
And stayed out of the light
It's hard to make it with you and to not make a sound
It's hard to make love in this American town

[Chorus 1]
Good night to Philadelphia
Good night to New Orleans
Good night to Minneapolis
Chicago and D.C
It's hard to make it with you and to not get real loud
It's hard to make love in this American town
Hey hey
Hey hey

[Verse 2]
Baby likes to make it near the water
With the fishmongers all looking on
She got one foot in the skiff
One foot on the shore
My left hand's up her skirt
And my right hand pulls the oar
Rowing 'round and around and around and around
It's hard to make love in this seaside town
[Chorus 2]
Good night to Portland, Oregon
Great Lakes, Illinois
Providence, Rhode Island
Good night to all the boys
In Mystic and Waukegan, Sturgeon Bay and Puget Sound
It's hard to make love in this American town
Hey hey
Hey hey

[Verse 3]
Meet me, baby, out near the grinder
Be easier to want you if you're drunk
Get your junk upon my bunk
Put one foot on my trunk
Keep one foot on the floor
Press your palm against the door
Before my duty calls
Before the sentry comes
Help me get the blousing on my boots undone
'Cause it's hard to make love with these fatigues on

[Chorus 3]
Good night to Camp Felton
Good night to Camp Lejeune
Good night to Fort Leavenworth
And Quantico, too
Good night, fair times, farewell, rich men
It's hard to make love to an American
Hey hey hey [x4]
[Chorus 4]
Good night to Philadelphia
Good night to New Orleans
Good night to the Upper Mississippi River Valley
Good night and fair times
Got my head bowed down
It's hard to make love to an American now
It's hard to make love to an American now

[Outro]
It's hard to make love to an American
It's hard to make love to an American