Duke Ellington
The Wrong Side of the Railroad Tracks
[COCOA GIRL]
The place we live in looks like a slum
To some
But friends, it looks as fine as can be
To me
I'm really not trying to kid you all
I'm the kind of an individual
Who always sees the seamy side
As a peaches and creamy side
[CARELESS LOVE]
On the wrong side of the railroad tracks
Where the shirts are never stuffed and the gowns have backs
It's the neighborhood where the folks relax
I wonder what the other side is like?
On the wrong side of the right-of-way
Where the social workers work and the husbands play
And you go to bed at the break of day
We wonder what the other side is like
It ain't upper crusty
But honey, it is dusty
And we'll keep surviving
As long as we are jiving
It's a sweet house that we sing about
Where the plumbing never plumbs and the children shout
And the food is so bad, the rats eat out
We wonder what the other side is like
On the wrong side of the railroad tracks
Where you never have to worry 'bout your income tax
And the air is perfumed by chimney stacks
We wonder what the other side is like
To a certain style of clothes we cling
When a dress if full of holes, it's quite the thing
Just a natural air conditioning
We wonder what the other side is like
The ceilings may crumble
The stumblebums may stumble
To you it is squalid
To us it's really solid!
It's the wrong side of the status quo
Where the hopes are always high and the pay is low
But as long as we last, we're on the go
We wonder what the other side is like
Oh yes, wonder what the other side is like?