Local Hero

I was driving through my hometown I was just kinda killin' time When I seen a face Staring out of a black velvet painting From the window of the five and dime I couldn't quite recall the name But the pose looked familiar to me So I asked the salesgrirl, Who was that man? Between the doberman and Bruce Lee? She said, "Just a local hero" "Local Hero", she said with a smile "Yeah a local hero He used to live here for a while" I met a stranger dressed in black At the train station He said, "Son your soul can be saved" There's beautiful women Nights of low livin' And some dangerous money to be made There's a big town cross the whiskey line And if we turn the right cards up They make us boss The devil pays off And them folks that are real hard up They get their local hero Somebody with the right style They get their local hero Somebody with just the right smile Well I learned my job I learned it well Fit myself with religion And a story to tell First they made me King Then they made me Pope Well then they brought the rope I woke to a gypsy girl sayin' "Drink this" Well my hands had lost all sensation These days I'm feelin' allright 'Cept I can't tell my courage From my desperation From the tainted chalice Well I drunk some heady wine Tonight I'm layin' here But there's something in my ear Sayin' there's a little town Just beneath the flood line Needs a local hero Somebody with the right style Lookin' for a local hero Someone with the right smile Local hero, "Local Hero", she said with a smile Local hero, "He used to live here for a while"