[Verse 1]
I was driving through my hometown
I was just kinda killin' time
When I seen a face staring out of a black velvet painting
From the window of the five-and-dime
I couldn't quite recall the name
But the pose looked familiar to me
So I asked the salesgirl, "Who was that man
'Tween the doberman and Bruce Lee?"

[Chorus]
She said "Just a local hero"
"Local hero," she said with a smile
"Yeah, a local hero
He used to live here for a while"

[Verse 2]
I met a stranger dressed in black at the train station
He said, "Son, your soul can be saved"
Well, there's beautiful women, nights of low livin'
And some dangerous money to be made
There's a big town 'cross the whiskey line
And if we turn the right cards up
Well, then they make us boss, the devil pays off
And them folks that are real hard up
[Chorus]
They get their local hero
Somebody with the right style
They get their local hero
Yeah, somebody with just the right smile

[Bridge]
Well, I learned my job, I learned it well
Fit myself with religion and a story to tell
First they made me the king, then they made me pope
Well, then they brought the rope

[Verse 3]
I woke to a gypsy girl sayin', "Drink this"
Well, my hands had lost all sensation
These days I'm feeling all right
'Cept I can't tell my courage from my desperation
From the tainted chalice
Well, I drunk some heady wine
Tonight I'm layin' here, but there's something in my ear
Sayin' there's a little town just beneath the flood line

[Chorus]
Needs a local hero
Somebody with the right style
Lookin' for a local hero
Someone with the right smile
[Chorus]
Lookin' for a local hero
Yeah, someone with the right style
Lookin' for a local hero
Somebody with just the right smile

[Outro]
Local hero
Local hero, she said with a smile
He was a local hero
He used to live here for a while
Local hero
Local hero