Key: G
Introduction: G F C G
C D C G
Born in Red Hook, Brooklyn, in the year of a-who knows when
C D C G
Opened up his eyes to the tune of an accordion
C D C G
Always on the outside of whatever side there was
Em G
When they asked him why it had to be that way,
C C/B Am
"Well," he answered, "just because."
C D C G
Larry was the oldest, Joey was next to last.
C D C G
They called Joe "Crazy," the baby they called "Kid Blast."
C D C G
Some say they lived off gambling and runnin' numbers too.
Em G
It always seemed they got caught between
C C/B Am
the mob and the men in blue.
G C Am
Joey, Jooooooey,
G Em C Am
King of the streets, child of clay.
G C Am
Joey, Jooooooey,
G F C G
What made them want to come and blow you away?
(Intro)
C D C G
There was talk they killed their rivals, but the truth was far from that
C D C G
No one ever knew for sure where they were really at.
C D C G
When they tried to strangle Larry, Joey almost hit the roof.
Em G
He went out that night to seek revenge
C C/B Am
thinkin' he was bulletproof.
C D C G
The war broke out at the break of dawn, it emptied out the streets
C D C G
Joey and his brothers suffered terrible defeats
C D C G
Till they ventured out behind the lines and took five prisoners.
Em G
They stashed them away in a basement
C C/B Am
called them amateurs.
C D C G
The hostages were tremblin' when they heard a man exclaim,
C D C G
"Let's blow this place to kingdom come, let Con Edison take the blame."
C D C G
But Joey stepped up, he raised his hand, said, "We're not those kind of men.
Em G
It's peace and quiet that we need
C C/B Am
to go back to work again."
G C Am
Joey, Joey,
G Em C Am
King of the streets, child of clay.
G C Am
Joey, Joey,
G F C G
What made them want to come and blow you away?
C D C G
The police department hounded him, they called him Mr. Smith
C D C G
They got him on conspiracy, they were never sure who with.
C D C
"What time is it?" said the judge to Joey when they met
Em G
"Five to ten," said Joey. The Judge says,
C C/B Am
"That's exactly what you get."
C D C G
He did ten years in Attica, reading Nietzsche and Wilhelm Reich
C D C G
They threw him in the hole one time for tryin' to stop a strike.
C D C G
His closest friends were black men 'cause they seemed to understand
Em G
What it's like to be in society
C C/B Am
with a shackle on your hand.
C D C G
When they let him out in '71 he'd lost a little weight
C D C G
But he dressed like Jimmy Cagney and I swear he did look great.
C D C G
He tried to find the way back into the life he left behind
Em G
To the boss he said, "I have returned
C C/B Am
and now I want what's mine."
G C Am
Joey, Joey,
G Em C Am
King of the streets, child of clay.
G C Am
Joey, Joey,
G F C G
Why did they have to come and blow you away?
C D C G
It was true that in his later years he would not carry a gun
C D C G
"I'm around too many children," he'd say, "they should never know of one."
C D C G
Yet he walked right into the clubhouse of his lifelong deadly foe,
Em G
Emptied out the register, said,
C C/B Am
"Tell 'em it was Crazy Joe."
C D C G
One day they blew him down in a clam bar in New York
C D C G
He could see it comin' through the door as he lifted up his fork.
C D C G
He pushed the table over to protect his family
Em G
Then he staggered out into the streets
C C/B Am
of Little Italy.
C G Am
Joey, Joey,
G Em C Am
King of the streets, child of clay.
C G Am
Joey, Joey,
C F C G
What made them want to come and blow you away?
C D C &n