Verse 1
I went out walking through the city centre
It happened just the other day
Sometimes the harbour in the winter
Blows a little luck my way
I stood around like John Lee Hooker
Waiting for my ship to come in
But when you're down on your last twenty dollar
The view is such a beautiful thing

Verse 2
I've seen a girl of twelve sit and shoot herself
Higher than a national dream
And sleep it off just a spit away
From the tires of a limousine
I may recall another world
Where money never had no sting
But right here she's a big girl now
The city's such a beautiful thing

Her eyes are as cold as a centrefold
And her mouth has come undone
And like a child conceived on new years eve
She don't belong to anyone

Verse 3
You don't need to hold a lot of money
To figure how the world goes round
You don't need to climb on anybody
To get a feel for what goes down
She could be on the colour TV
Teachin' all the world to sing
But out here on a black and white pier
It ain't such a beautiful thing

Verse 4
Now I'm a Northern Territory man
The territory lives in me
And I fail to understand
The silly bloody things I see
I went out walking through the city centre
Thinking back to Alice Springs
This place is harder every winter
And home is such a beautiful thing

Verse 5
I went out walking through the city centre
It happened just the other day
Sometimes the harbour in the winter
Blows a little luck my way
I went out walking through the city centre
Thinking back to Alice Springs
This place is harder every winter
And home is such a beautiful thing
This place is harder every winter
And home is such a beautiful thing