It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City chords by David Bowie

• Difficulty: Intermediate

Key: A

🎸 Intro:

| A | D/A | A | D/A |
| A | D/A | A | D/A |
| A |  A  | D |  A  |



🎸 Verse 1:
      F#m                       D            E         A
I had skin like leather and the diamond-hard look of a cobra
      F#m                     D                 E           F#m
I was born blue and weathered but I burst just like a super-nova
        D                                        F#m                   D
I could walk like Brando right into the sun, an' dance just like a Casanova
         D              E           F#m
With my black-jack and jacket and my hair slicked sweet
        D          E                F#m
Silver studs on my duds just like a Harley in heat
        D               E           D             E
When I strut down the street I can hear its' heartbeat
D                 E             F#m
The sisters fell back and said "Don't that man look pretty"
D                   E                F#m
The cripple on the corner cried out "Penny, nickels for your pity"
D             E                  F#m
Them gasoline boys down-town, they sure talk gritty
      D              E     A           D/A   A   D/A
It's so hard to be a saint in the city

🎸 Verse 2:
  F#m                             D         E          A
I was the king of the alley, mama
I could talk some trash
        F#m                        D           E               F#m
I was the Prince of the Paupers, crowned down-town at the Beggars' Bash
       D
I was a pimp's main prophet
I kept everything cool
      F#m                             D
Just a back-street gambler with the luck to lose
             D          E         D             E
And when the heat came down it was left on the ground, mama
D        E               F#m
Devil appeared to me like Jesus through the steam in the street, an'
D            E            F#m
Showed me a hand that even the cops couldn't beat
      D             E                   F#m
And I felt his hot breath on my neck as I dove into the heat, and
D       E                              A
It's so hard to be a saint when you're just a poor boy out on the street

🎸 Verse 3:
         A4           A              A4              A
And the sages of the subway sit just like the living dead
             D
As the tracks clack out the rhythm, the eyes fixed straight ahead
     G4                G              G4             G
They ride the line of balancin', hold on by just a thread
            C
Well, it's too hot in these tunnels, you can get hit up by the heat
             Dm                                   F                  F/C
When you get up to get out at your next stop, but they push you right down in your seat
          A#
And your heart starts beatin' faster as you struggle to your feet
            E
Then you're out of that hole!, back on the street
          D          E            F#m
And them south-side sisters, they sure look pretty
       D                E             F#m
And the cripple on the corner cries out "Nickels for your pity"
        D          E         F#m
And them down-town boys, they sure talk gritty
       D              E          A     D/A   A   D/A
It's so hard to be a saint in the city

🎸 Outro:
| D | E | F#m | F#m |
(repeat and fade out)