[Verse 1]
Stuck in Nickel City
On the tainted side of a coin
El Niño brought a blizzard
Greyhound brought a boy
Those yellow city lights
Accent the gutters and the rats
Only the cheap motels were open
Wrong side of the tracks

[Chorus]
Two cold nights in Buffalo
On the way to Syracuse
Outside town, all the roads are closed
Gonna wash this rust belt new

[Verse 2]
A snowy prison out on Main Street
Heaters hang from the cells
A bum searches for shelter
So cold he dreams of hell
Is that American dream dying?
I hear the whispers of each ghost
Of the wealthy man who once died
In downtown Buffalo
[Chorus]
Two cold nights in Buffalo
On the way to Syracuse
Outside town, all the roads are closed
Gonna wash this rust belt new
Gonna wash it new

[Verse 3]
What happened to the middle class
Mom-and-Pop, five-and-dimes?
Soon they'll be knocking it all down
To build that high-rise
What happened to the good ol' boys
Throwing dice in the street?
What happened to the neighborhood
And the neighbors you would meet?
What happened to recreation?
That old roller skating rink?
What happened to preserving
This town's history?

[Chorus]
Two cold nights in Buffalo
On the way to Syracuse
Outside town, all the roads are closed
Gonna wash this rust belt new
Gonna wash it new