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 livin' when you're lonely It's a long night sleepin' alone It's a hard time waitin' for tomorrow It's a long, long way home Josie spends the evening with the people "on" 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 But they don't come too often anymore It's a hard life livin' when you're lonely It's a long night sleepin' alone It's a hard time waitin' for tomorrow It's a long, long way home I stare at the gray walls before me And 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 livin' when you're lonely I wish they would let me go home It's a long night sleepin' alone I wish they would let me go home It's a hard time waitin' 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 Bring me and the other boys home I wish they would let me go home Bring me and the other boys home Words and music by John Denver