This old town should have burned down in 1929
That’s when we stood in line
Waiting for our soup while swallowing our pride
This old town should have burned down in 1931
When the rain refused to come
Air filled up our bellies
Dust filled up our lungs
And we thought our time had come
But this old town was built by hand
In the dustbowl of the motherland
There must be rock beneath this sand
I’ll be damned—this town still stands
This old town should have burned down in 1944
When the last man went to war
They came back different, if they came back at all
This old town should havе burned down in 1956
That’s when the twistеr hit
And all our hopes lay buried beneath the boards and bricks
And we almost called it quits
But this old town was built by hand
In the dustbowl of the motherland
There must be rock beneath this sand
I’ll be damned—this town still stands
Somewhere in the distance
The city lights do shine
Sidewalks gleam with neon dreams
That call from time to time
When my children’s children ask
Why I didn’t go
I’ll say—the heart of any town
Is the people that you’ve known
And they always call you home
This old town was built by hand
In the dustbowl of the motherland
And there is rock beneath the sand
I’ll be damned—this town still stands
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Janis Ian Lyrics – This Old Town