It's nothing new; it's been like this forever
for as long as I've known him any way
he and I went to junior high together
and that was way back in the day
as soon as he gets some money
he's on his way down town
meets the man on some comer
goes in some basement to get down
It's nothing new; not for him
he's been like this for forty years
his family has suffered endlessly
bailed him out and shed many tears
they've given him chance after chance
to straighten out his life
he lost every thing he ever had
even his child and beautiful wife
It's nothing new; just another day
he gets up and gets on the train
runs some scams on the ride down town
the whole thing to me is insane
he'll go the spot where it's not too hot
score some slam and go to a house
where you can pay to sit and get off
as long as you're quiet as a mouse
It's nothing new; not for him
to waste the whole day away
getting high on crack and smack
with a whore that likes to play
a pipe a needle and a spoon
some dark dirty quiet room
with every shot or hit he takes
he gets closer to his doom
It's nothing new; trust me
it's been like this forever
people tell him to kick his habit
but it ain't gonna happen; never
its not that he's a bad guy
he's ok when he's got a stash
but when he's sick and needs a fix
you better watch your cash
It's nothing new I'm telling you
it'll be the same years from now
that's if he's alive and don't over dose
he's been lucky all these years somehow
in and out of jail and drug rehabs
ever since he was a teenager
although I know him very well
he looks like a freaking stranger
It's nothing new to see bags under his eyes
but now his cheeks are all sunken in
he looks like death warm over on a good day
to me it's freaking sin
I've try to tell him what to do
turn it all over to the Lord
but he laughs at me and gives me a look
that says he's getting bored