The first set of words here come from the latest version of the song, which appears on Dave's December 2023 CD Rock Ave.

Uptown Down

You saw a rattlesnake on the street

with teeth so sharp and white.

He's been crawling at the bottom

all of his life

and all he does is bite, bite.

He's got the uptown down

and how do you bet on snake eyes?

You might want to keep an eye out

for a wolf in a sheep skin coat

or a vulture that flies and glides low -

watch out for them as you go, go.

They've got the uptown down

and you don't want them to get close.

Uptown down...

The ones at the top want to keep

the rest of us in a divide

where the ones at the bottom have such a rough time

whatever they try and try.

They've got the uptown down,

and that makes it hard to get by.

The words in the version below match the ones that are on the rough cut video which was posted on YouTube on 6/20/12 - click here to watch that video.

Uptown Down

I met a rattlesnake on the street

with teeth so sharp and white.

He's been crawling at the bottom

all of his life

and all he does is bite, bite.

He's got the uptown down

and how do you bet on snake eyes?

Down in the alley a lone gray wolf

puts out his cigarette

heading down to the Salvation Army store

to find a sheepskin that fits.

How can he hide what he is?

Uptown down...

Those buzzards on the fire escape

watching you as you park,

they might swoop down and grab your radio

the minute that you walk.

You've got the uptown down,

don't leave your door unlocked.