I don't want a lot, I want just enough So why has it got to be so damn TOUGH
Livin' on the uptown side of jive Hustlin' a buck to stay alive Lookin' for a ten and they give your five Well it's tough You talk to the boss, the boss is gruff You ask for a raise and they call your bluff You may get some but it's never enough 'cause it's tough
STRONG: Like a magnum force ROUGH: Like a new divorce MEAN: Like a three-time loser BAD: Like an L.A. cruiser DOWN: Like a limousine BLIND: Like a submarine HARD: Like cold concrete TOUGH: That's the rhythm of the beat
You hit the street and you look for work You don't want to be some welfare jerk But I wonder how you get to be Captain Kirk It's tough Now Kirk has a ship called the Enterprise He cuts the aliens down to size I wonder what he'd do with the uptown guys They're tough
TOUGH: Try to get some cash When you're looking for a raise and they give you trash
ROUGH: When you got it like that And your woman's running 'round with a baseball bat
HARD: Try to play it cool when the girls all know you're an out of work fool
TOUGH: How it seems to be, wish I had somebody lookin' out for me
Try to find a lover if you dare Even if you do she just won't care Well no one ever said that life is fair 'cause it's tough Saw a fine young lady the other day I started my rap, I had a lot to say But she said she was goin' with a C.P.A. Now it's tough
STRONG: Like a superhero ROUGH: Like a bank book zero MEAN: Like the Oakland Raiders BAD: Like the Caped Crusaders DOWN: Like a homerun ball BLIND: Like an umpire's call HARD: Like a cruel deceit TOUGH: That's the rhythm of the beat
TOUGH: It's a way of life, lost your job, Your money but not your wife
ROUGH: Gettin' in the black, Uncle Sam's in your pocket And your woman's on your back
HARD: That's the deal, had to get a loan just to buy a meal
TOUGH: That's how it goes, when it's gettin' better nobody knows
STRONG: Like Chocolate Thunder ROUGH: Like Stevie Wonder MEAN: Like Brucie The Shark BAD: Like the Raider's Ark DOWN: Like Sugar's Glove BLIND: Like a man in love HARD: Like a big defeat TOUGH: That's the rhythm of the beat