Josie works the counter at the downtown five and dime,
Anything at all to help her pass the time.
Her mama keeps the baby and grandpa rambles
On about the good times playing in his mind.
It's a hard life living when you're lonely,
It's a long night sleeping alone.
It's a hard time waiting for tomorrow,
It's a long, long way home.

Josie spends the evening with the people in the pages of the paperback
She picked up at the store.
Or sometimes it's the TV, or she'll try to write a letter, oh,
They don't come too often anymore.
It's a hard life living when you're lonely, it's a long night sleeping alone.
It's a hard time waiting for tomorrow, it's a long, long way home.

I stare at the gray walls before me, I see her face in the stone.
I try to imagine our baby, I wish they would let me go home.
I wish they would let me go home.

(I wish they would let me go home) It's a hard life living when you're lonely,
(I wish they would let me go home) It's a long night sleeping alone.
(I wish they would let me go home) It's a hard time waiting for tomorrow,
(I wish they would let me go home) It's a long, long way home.
(I wish they would let me go home) It's a long, long way home.
(I wish they would let me go home) Bringing me and the other boys home,
(I wish they would let me go home) Bringing me and the other boys home.