yonder come my landlord collecting his rent
with his greedy yellow eyes and his tongue all bent
with his padlocked pockets and his bad luck nose
sniffin’ ‘round my doorway and goin’ through my clothes

oh how could you treat me so cold
you got a mortgage on my body and a lien on my soul

I got a crackpot house with a two way roof
my neighbors are thieves but I got no proof
you like to take you don't want to give
i gotta make a lot of money just to have a place to live

oh how could you treat me so cold
you got a mortgage on my body and a lien on my soul

but hey you landlord I know you well
you run a rock and roll tavern and fancy hotel
you misuse a lot of people that you got at your command
I’ll put on a pair of gloves before I shake your hand

oh how could you treat me so cold
you got a mortgage on my body and a lien on my soul

you go watching through windows what you got no right to see
knocking on doors where you got no right to be
your legs are weak 'cause you been telling lies
and some day somebody’s gonna get wise

oh how could you treat me so cold
you got a mortgage on my body and a lien on my soul

you’re gonna get evicted out on the street
with no food in your belly no shoes on your feet
you’re gonna walk around from door to door
but nobody’s gonna want to see you anymore

oh how could you treat me so cold
you got a mortgage on my body and a lien on my soul

you’re gonna wake up in the helpless dawn
look around and find that your land is gone
you want to be cold just as cold as you please
well come next winter you're gonna freeze

oh how could you treat me so cold
you got a mortgage on my body and a lien on my soul