Well the west end now
The west end then
Went by the other day
Just to see my friend
His house was dark
His socks were thin
I told him let's get out the west end

For my whole life
I've lived down in the west end
But it sure has changed here
Since I was a kid
It's worse now
Look what progress did
Someone lined their pockets
I don't know who that is

Well my old man slaved
Down here in the west end
He thought the future was bright
Way back then
But it beat him down
Till he had nothing to give
It broke his back
Took away his will to live

Now me
I don't think much of the west end
Ain't gonna end up
Like the old man did
Cause I got dreams and they're bigger than this
As far as I'm concerned
You can keep the west end

Well I guess down here
In the west end
Broken promises
Now and then
It's not even fair
To think that they would
Cause the west end now
Ain't no damn good

Out there somewhere
You know there's gotta be a place
Where a man can live
With a smile on his face
And every day something new begins
But it ain't down here
At the west end

Some day down here
In the west end
No one will remember
How the whole place began

Copyright: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Writer(s): JOHN MELLENCAMP