Got into town on a Saturday night 

With a Fender guitar and I checked out the sights 

And I drank my way down to the Lower East Side 

Coz I was nuts about Thunders and Suicide 

Then I formed a band called the Major Thinkers 

With a couple of musicians and some heavy drinkers 

And I went up to Max's and I said, "Hey man,

I'm gonna blow your club right off the map"



New York, New York what have you done 

You've wrecked me 'til I have become 

Half the man I might have been 

Half the hero of my dream 

New York, New York it's over now 

You beat me still I know somehow 

Just for once I'm gonna prove you wrong 

Just to show you I was right all along 



Well I met Sheila down at Blanche's bar 

She was dressed all in black and her heart was a scar 

She took me back to Avenue C 

We were happy there, her and me 

'Til a man from the Black Rock saw the band 

And he said "You dudes are just sizzling hot and 

We're gonna cut a record and make you all stars 

But first things first, sign your soul away here...



Yeah we cut a song about Avenue B 

And the boxes boomed it all over the streets 

But the record company screwed us all up 

And Sheila went off and joined the scientology church 

Then Mike stopped a bullet in Staten Island 

And my whole world turned ultra violent 

But there's one last thing I gotta see through 

There's one last thing I gotta say to you 



Oh Sheila, baby, give me one more chance 

I've just gone and started Black '47 

I don't care about the money, you can keep the fame 

I just want to beat this city at its own dumb game