Old Miss Johnston lived all alone On the sorry side of town Broke down cars and burglar bars On the windows and doors In case danger comes around
Sittin' in her yellow kitchen Listenin' to bad news on a Radiant radio It used to be Louis Armstrong Then Martin Luther King Where did everybody go?
Out the window where her garden was It's not safe to go outside Old Miss Johnston in the eye of the storm It was the safest place to hide
And life's a gamble for the broken and the weak Dealin' with the bangers and the drugs The whinos weave and amble And shuffle on down the street Steerin' clear of all the thugs
And now my city hangs her head in shame You can't tell the truth from all the lies Everything changed forever and everything stayed the same On the night Miss Johnston died
