Lyric discussion by Comrade_Liar 

Cover art for Black Cowboys lyrics by Bruce Springsteen

I'm not sure if its considered to be a bit off commenting on lyrics you submited, but I'm going to do it anyway.

I think its about a poor black kid with a single mum, who's smart enough to (with his mums guidence) avoid the gang culture he might well have fallen into. Then she hooks up with a the wrong sort of man and becomes a junkie, so he steals the mans money and runs away to seek a better life.