I was born an only child
On a warm Jersey night
My mother was a dressmaker
My father drove a truck
My family never was much good
When it came to money-luck...no

Me and my best friend took to stealing
When we were only 16
And one year in the county jail
Made a man out of Tommy and me

We caught the train to New York
We thought we were so tough
We started fighting for quick cash
We decided we didn't need the money that bad

We were the runaway children
Always lost in the dark
Trying to forget where we came from
Trying to make a new start
Oh, but it was so hard

Earned my first honest dollar
Workin' at the mill outside of town
Tommy went elsewhere
Never did like the sound of a poor man cryin'
Tommy got mixed up with people
The kind of people you just don't get mixed up with
And they beat him so bad, he...
He almost didn't live to regret it...but he did
Uh, thank God he did

We were the runaway children
Still lost in the dark
Trying to forget where we came from
Trying to make a new start
Oh, but it was so hard...so hard...it was just so hard

But Tommy moved eight years ago
Out to Las Vegas
Now he sweeps the floors in the casinos
Oh, and he gambles when he's able
When will he ever learn?
When will he ever learn?

And me, I went back home
Oh, and I made it just in time
To say I'm sorry for what I'd done
Right before my mother died

Now I drive a truck
Just like I swore I never would
But I need the money worse than I need the luck
I know my old man just did the best that he could with what he had
It's funny the things we finally learn how to have of
We were just runaway children
Lost in the dark
Trying to forget where we came from
Oh but we never, we never made it that far...never made it that far
Oh, but it's still so hard...it's still so hard