Grandmaster Flash - New York New York

New York New York, big city of dreams

And everything in New York ain't always what it seems

You might get fooled if you come from out of town

But I'm down by law and I know my way around



Too much, too many people, too much (aha-ha)

Too much, too many people, too much, Raaah!



A castle in the sky, one mile high

Built to shelter the rich and greedy

Rows of eyes, disguised as windows

Looking down on the poor and the needy

Miles of people, marching up the avenue

Doin' what they gotta do, just to get by

I'm living in the land of plenty and many

But I'm damn sure poor and I don't know why



Too much, too many people, too much

Too much, too many people, too much!



A man's on a ledge, says he's gonna jump

People gather round, said, "He won't he's just a chump"

'Cause he lost his job, then he got robbed

His mortgage is due and his marriage is through

He says he ain't gonna pay no child support

Because the bitch left him without a second thought

He got nothing to eat, no shoes on his feet

She even left his clothes out in the street

He keeps hearing noises when he's at home

He always hears voices when he's all alone

His wife took the kids, the car and the crib

In this man's world, so much for Women's Lib



New York New York big city of dreams

But everything in New York ain't always what it seems

You might get fooled if you come from out of town

But I'm down by law, and I know my way around



Down in the Village, you might think I'm silly

But you can't tell the women from the men sometimes

They're sugar and spice and everything nice

But when you get 'em home ain't no telling what you find

Right next door is a little old man

I seen him eating dog food out of a can

He says, "I got to eat, when I can't afford meat

I barely can stand, on my own two feet

I got a bad habit and I just can't break it

Something's on my mind and I just can't shake it

I need some time, and I want some space

I gotta get away from the human race�



Too much, too many people, too much (aha-ha)

Too much, too many people, too much! Raaah!



Staring at a skyscraper reaching into heaven

When over in the ghetto I'm livin in hell

Just play ball or be an entertainer

'Cause niggaz like me can't read too well

Nobody loves me, nobody cares

I dreamed about a life but I'm livin in a nightmare

Paranoid schizo, set back, snowbound

Bad news psycho, heart attack, breakdown!



Hee, Huh, Hee, Huh, Hee, Huh, Hee, Huh

Hee, Huh, Hee, Huh, Hee, Huh, Hee, Huh

Hee, Huh, Hee, Huh, Hee, Huh, Hee, Huh

Hee, Huh, Hee, Huh, Hee, Huh, Hee, HUH!



If only I could sleep just ten more minutes

I might find the strength to make another day

If I didn't have to get up and do my thing

I would probably sleep my whole life away

I messed up a nice dream, somethin' bout ice cream

Whipped cream, fruits and a cherry on top

Now I gotta get up and face the world, huh

The pressure is on, It ain't never gonna stop

I sho' gotta learn to use my mind
I don't wanna be kissing nobody's behind

Just standin' on line lookin' like a jerk

Gotta get off my butt and do a full day's work

I ran into a pothole, got into a car crash

Should'a been thinking and tried to fake whiplash

A crowd gathered round, they're callin' me fat

Who you lookin at with a face like that?



New York New York big city of dreams

Everything in New York ain't always what it seems

You might get fooled if you come from out of town

But I'm down by law and I know my way around



On 42nd Street, lookin for some action

Women standing on the corner selling satisfaction

One young punk just leaning on the fence

Tryin' to make a dollar out of fifteen cents

Really is a prankster, tried to be a gangster

Real big wheel when a gun is in his hands

Just did a stick-up, just got picked up

One dead punk, killed by the man



New York New York big city of dreams

And everything in New York ain't always what it seem

You might get fooled if you come from out of town

But I'm down by law and I know my way around



Too much, too many people, too much (haha ha ha)

Too much, too many people, too much! Huh!



A baby cries and a mother dies

And the tears fall from the doctor's eyes

Because in this room, on this day

The Good Lord has giveth, and taketh away, huh!

The gift of life really means a lot

And in the ghetto your life is all you got

So you take to the streets, trying to exist

In the trash and slime of a world like this

What you watch on TV tells you what life is supposed to be

But when you look outside the only thing you see

Is the poverty stricken reality, Heh!

Abandoned places, angry faces

Much hate and hunger throughout the races

You say, "I'm grown and I'm on my own

So why don't everybody just leave me alone!"

Now you stay at home, talking on the phone

Doin ninety miles an hour in the fifty mile zone

They never took the time to tell you 'bout sex

So you had to learn about it in the discotheques

Nine months later, the baby is there

And the Nigga that did it said, "I don't care!"

You don't have enough money to help feed two

So you have to choose between the baby and you

The sky was crying, rain and hail

When you put your baby in the garbage pail

Then you kissed the kid and put down the lid

And you tried to forget what you just did, Huh!

The muffled screams of a dying baby

Was enough to drive the young mother crazy

So she ran in the rain trying to ease the pain

Huh huh, And she drove herself insane



New York New York big city of dreams

But everything in New York ain't always what it seem

You might get fooled if you come from out of town

But I'm down by law and I know my way around



Too much, too many people, too much (haha ha ha)

Too much, too many people, too much! HUH!



New York New York big city of dreams

But everything in New York ain't always what it seem

You might get fooled if you come from out of town

But I'm down by law and I know my way around



Too much, too many people, too much (haha ha ha)

Too much, too many people, too much