My Petersburg

I grew up on the sly In the gutters and the streets of Petersburg Just a kid on the fly Getting good at getting by in Petersburg I've bartered for a blanket Stolen for my bread Learned to take my chances And use my head A Russian rat is clever Clever, or he ends up dead Boils down to There are some who survive Some who don't Some give up, some give in Me, I won't Black and blue, welcome to my Petersburg Standing here, you can see From the spires to the piers of Petersburg I'd be down on that quay Selling stolen souvenirs of Petersburg The Palace is above and alleyways below Funny when a city is all you know How even when you hate it Something in you loves it so That's where I learned my stuff In some rough company There's the boy growing up Who was me All I've been, all I'll be We can do what we're told We can go where we're lead But I learned from my father to see what's ahead Nothing here to hold me No one that I owe Funny how a boy can grow Funny how a city tells you when it's time to go Boils down to There are some who have walls yet to climb You and I on the fly, just in time But tonight there's a sky And quite a view Welcome to my Petersburg