Lyrics:

By Tom Petty and Mike Campbell

Chorus
I'm the nightwatchman
I make the rounds
I'm the nightwatchman
I gotta keep my nose to the ground

Honey this ain't no job for a man like me
I got potential, I could be just what you need
You got to think about the pros and cons
You could be right, you could be wrong

Chorus
I'm the nightwatchman
I am security
I'm the nightwatchman
How safe do you wanna be?

I sit around at night and listen to the radio
If I get real bored I might have a little smoke
Yeah I got a permit to wear this .38
But listen my life's worth more than the minimum wage