The Grass May Not Be Greener, But -

Here in Chicago, Illinois the landscape is flat No hill or vale to break the monotony A concrete jungle downtown, surrounded by highway Leading to endless cornfields south of the metropolis The suburbs and exurbs' main drags all eerily familiar McDonalds, Starbucks, Walmarts, Athleticos Bank of Americas, Chase Manhattans, CVS' and Marianos Walgreens, 31 Flavors, Pizza Huts, BP's and Shells... Would Woody Guthrie still sing 'This Land is My Land' Could he, if he viewed Chicago firsthand... Yet here in Chicago we have a Lake Michigan which stops tornadoes in their tracks turning them into harmless water spouts and whose waters change hues with the wind's every move Here in Chicago we don't worry about hurricanes or typhoons Although we're a hotspot for displaced raccoons and financial tycoons Here you can buy a brick house in a nice neighborhood for under half a million Unlike Manhattan and San Francisco, where a tiny condo costs a zillion Sure, we've got a crime problem, and it gets a little worse each year But there's still many a corner tavern that'll cook you a meal with that beer All I know is that I've lived here forever, and though I lock my door at night Only once a year, on Halloween, does my neck-of-the-woods give me a fright