Once I said goodbye to New York City, sweet city. I said goodbye, but I had to get back to you. If I had to walk or crawl or fly, I couldn't say goodbye to New York City.
New York City, sweet city. Something had to give. They say it's a nice place to visit, but my heart tells me it's a bad place to live.
If I come by plane, I can watch those buildings high. And if I come by boat, I can really heave a sigh. And if I come by train, I can watch those streets go by.
And if I land at the airport, come in the Skyway, catch a cab that's going my way. Love the busy hum, yes, this is my day. New York is my town.
New York is my town. And I'll go uptown, downtown. And there's a big, happy, sad town. And I'll go uptown, downtown. And there's a big, happy, sad town.
East side, west side, all around the town. I like the people, yes, the people. And how they make this big town swing. In the autumn, in the winter.
East side, west side, all around the town. And in the summer, in the spring. Yes, the people are everything.
Are you serious?
The designer hot dog, Carnegie Pastrami. The roasted chestnut gourmet salami.
Tiffany's, Bloomy's, a game at Shea. Tourists from the Orient, clicking away. The Statue of Liberty, Times Square, block-long billboards selling underwear.
The Bowery Hell's Kitchen, the Lower East Side. Tardy's, the Donald, Puerto Rican pride.
Sushi from a pushcart, burger and cheese.
Chico Gucci fritos, kosher chai.
Chinese.
Gridlock, every block a traffic jam. Street-card-minded dealers working a scam.
Cabbies on the curbside, duking it out. No one ever knows what the fighting's about.
Yo, Lincoln Tunnel, Lincoln Tunnel, everywhere you lose, explosive headlines on the daily news.
The handsome cab, the Hayden Planetarium.
Mo' Mother met the New York Aquarium.
Sirens in the night, giving way to the sounds of the sanitation specialists making their rounds.
The Great White Way for the hot new show.
Ya picks, ya poison, ya spend, ya dough.
Gotham, the apple, numero one. City of cities, second to none.
And I'll go uptown, downtown. There's a big, happy, sad town.
And I'll go uptown, downtown. There's a big, happy, sad town.
Eastside.
Westside.
Eastside.
Hey, I've looked around.
And New York.
Oh, New York.
Yes, New York.
Is my town.
Look out, the Spanish woman's back.
Thank you.

Thank you.
Thank you.