Album: Street Hassle (1978)

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• Waltzing Matilda whipped out her wallet
  The sexy boy smiled in dismay
  She took out four twenties 'cause she liked round figures
  Everybody's a queen for a day
  Oh, babe, I'm on fire and you know how I admire your
  Body why don't we slip away
  Although I'm sure you're certain, it's a rarity me flirtin'
  Sha-la-la-la, this way
  
  Oh, sha-la-la-la-la, sha-la-la-la-la
  Hey, baby, come on, let's slip away
  
  Luscious and gorgeous, oh what a hunk of muscle
  Call out the national guard
  She creamed in her jeans as he picked up her means
  From off of the formica topped bar
  And cascading slowly, he lifted her wholly
  And boldly out of this world
  And despite people's derision
  Proved to be more than diversion
  Sha-la-la-la, later on
  
  And then sha-la-la-la-la, he entered her slowly
  And showed her where he was coming from
  And then sha-la-la-la-la, he made love to her gently
  It was like she'd never ever come
  And then sha-la-la-la-la, sha-la-la-la-la
  When the sun rose and he made to leave
  You know, sha-la-la-la-la, sha-la-la-la-la
  Neither one regretted a thing
  
  Street hassle
  Hey, that cunt's not breathing
  I think she's had too much
  Of something or other, hey, man, you know what I mean
  I don't mean to scare you
  But you're the one who came here
  And you're the one who's gotta take her when you leave
  I'm not being smart
  Or trying to be cold on my part
  And I'm not gonna wear my heart on my sleeve
  But you know people get all emotional
  And sometimes, man, they just don't act rational
  They think they're just on TV
  
  Sha-la-la-la, man
  Why don't you just slip Writer/s: LOU REED
  Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 6

• Tc from MichiganI think the first section is (as others have said) about a woman paying a male hustler for sex. The second section is referring to the same man and his girlfriend going to a drug dealers apartment; she ods and dies. But the third section is her admitting finally that HE was the one who died in the apartment, not her; she admits she has been lying to herself and cries over & over "oh how I miss him."
  Such an amazing song.
• Alex from Mansfield, Ohincredibly well written song, also used in the groundbreaking skateboarding video baker 3 mind u
• Ross from Brooklyn, Ny"Wishin' won't make it so..." I think.
  
  Amazing indeed -- a fave and among his best work. The cello line, the suite, Springsteen, and lines like:
  
  Some people got no choice and they can never find a voice
  To talk with that they can even call their own
  So the first thing that they see that allows them the right to be
  Why they follow it
  You know what it's called? Bad luck.
  
  Just nails me.
• Aaron from Peoria, Ilsongfacts is wrong. there are 3 parts to this song. the first is a woman with a male escort. the second covers a drug overdose. the third is metaphysical and enscones the first two. and springsteen sings all of the following: "well hey(man), that's just a lie, it's a lie she tells her friends. 'cause the real song, the real song where she won't even admit to herself
  the beatin' in her heart. It's a song lots of people know. It's a painful song
  a little sad truth but life full of sad songs
  penny for a wish but wishin' won't make you a soldier. With a pretty kiss for a pretty face
  can't have its way. Y'know tramps like us, we were born to pay."
  
  this is after 'born to run' and meant to be the ugly, other side that he chose to to turn away from.
  
  
• Erik from Bloomfield Hills, MiBruce Springsteen was in the studio with Reed while recording this song, he sings the line "Y'know tramps like us, we were born to pay." Bruce didn't want his name credited on the album.
• John from Cleveland, OhThis song is amazing.

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