By: Jimmy Buffett 
1973 
 
C                  G 
Looking back at my hard luck days 
  F                 C 
I really do have to laugh 
C                     G 
Working in a dive for twenty six dollars 
F                  G 
Spending it all on grass 
 
F              C 
We were hungry hard luck heros 
F                   G  
Trying just to stay alive 
F                   C 
We'd go down to the corner drug 
D                   G 
This is how we'd survive 
   


[Refrão]
     C 
     Who's going to steal the peanut butter? 
     F                    C 
     I'll get a can of sardines 
     C   
     Running up and down the aisle of the mini mart 
     F                    G 
     Sticking food in our jeans 
        F                    C 
     We never took more than we could eat 
               F                  G 
     There was plenty left on the rack 
     F                  C    
     We all swore if we ever got rich 
     G                          C     
     We would pay the mini mart back 
     F   C     F   C 
     Yes sir!  Yes sir! 
     G                          C   
     We would pay the mini mart back 
 
 
It was a two man operation 
Had it all down on a note 
Ricky would watch that big round mirror 
And I'd fill up my coat 
 
Then we'd head for the checkout aisle 
With a lemon and a bottle of beer 
Into to the car, got to make it on home 
Supper time's gettin' near 
 
(Repeat chorus) 
 
I guess every good picker has had some hard times 
I sure had my share 
It's really kind of funny to laugh at it now 
But I don't want to go back there 
 
So every now and then when I'm in the grocery 
I take a little but not much 
You never know when those hard times will hit you 
And I don't want to lose my touch 
 
(Repeat chorus)