He's got nothing to say, he's got no excuse He's just made that way, and he's gonna stay that way Like a dog on the loose in a firework display in a world of his own No, no, no, he won't back down or go running back home He's come a long way in life He's got a long way to go He don't even know, he don't care because He's growing up the hard way In and out of trouble every day Growing up the hard way Now no tellin' where you'll end up, boy And he's got nothing to say, like he's lost for the worlds, his mind is in a daze That's his way, it's just a little game he plays He's got nowhere to run while the city sleeps he wanders alone Cuttin' through the steel and the hearts of stone He's come a long way in life He's got a long way to go He don't even know, but he don't care because He's growing up the hard way In and out of trouble every day Growing up the hard way You'd better walk the straight and narrow Growing up the hard way In and out of trouble every day Growing up the hard way Never know what you're in for, boy He's come a long way in life He's got a long way to go He don't wanna know, and he don't care because He's growing up the hard way In and out of trouble every day He's growing up the hard way Yeah, and he's gonna stay that way You see, he's growing up the hard way Walk the straight and narrow yeah, maybe someday But still he's growing up the hard way It's just the way he's grown up Yeah, growing up the hard way There ain't no other way Growing up the hard way