New York, New York (New York, New York) And you say New York City (Louder!) My city, my home Watch out! We run New York! (New York City) My city, my home (New York, New York) And you say New York City New York Ah-ah-ah-ah-ahh, ahh, ahh I'm from the home of the hustler, born with a mean mug Talk fast and we walk fast, keep up Step with a different rhythm Try to make the most of what little we been given by the city that we live in Where the Wall Street intellect and street smarts intersect And "dog eat dog"'s the law that's in effect Tryin' to get even for the odds that we overcomin' So we can hear the sirens from the coppers but no one's runnin' No matter what we facin' we don't turn a cheak (Bo!) The highest currency is courage in these urban streets (Bo!) We in-a-gadda-da-vida where people poppin' they heaters We never follow our leaders p-preachers prophets and teachers Where Lady Liberty's livin' but we ain't gotten to see her I swear the cabs'll run you over without stoppin' the meter B-b-but you can never count us, even when we down and out With nothin' to be proud about, still the people shoutin' out New (my city, my home) York (New York, New York) New (my city, my home) York (New York, New York) New (my city, my home) York (New York, New York) City! (Louder!) New (my city, my home) York (New York, New York) New (my city, my home) York (New York, New York) New (my city, my home) York (New York, New York) City! (Louder!) Yo, I'm from the home of the stick-up kid, we always show the streets love Talk fast, plus we walk fast, keep up I step over Gutter Rainbows, wishing I could give away millions like I was Maino You know how the gutter slang go If you listen to Big L, Ebonics was the meanest The bombers made it tragic, but we rose up from the ashes Like the promise of the Phoenix, I promise you we eatin' Won't you stop bein' greedy, we too hot for TV Panasonic or the Zenith, I roll with Brooklyn Vegans Just for lookin' leave ya leakin', central bookin' at the precinct Since a youth I grew up in New York, I draw the parallels Detention that was jail, snitches is the tattle tails Epitaphs is racial, "fuck how niggas and the crackers feel” Its tragic how our whips got more gadgets than the Batmobile The inspiration for Gotham, the metropolitan's rotten Stay on top of the problems, 'cause we comin' from the bottom, got 'em New (my city, my home) York (New York, New York) New (my city, my home) York (New York, New York) New (my city, my home) York (New York, New York) City! (Louder!) New (my city, my home) York (New York, New York) New (my city, my home) York (New York, New York) New (my city, my home) York (New York, New York) City! (Louder!) Bridge (Iron Solomon): New York, New York Bo! New York, New York Bo! New York, New York Bo! New York, New York New York, New York (New York, New York, New York, New York) And you say New York City My city, my home (New York, New York, New York, New York) (ooh-ooh-ooh-ahh) And you say New York City My city, my home (New York, New York, New York, New York) And you say New York City New York Ah-ah-ah-ah-ahh, ahh, ahh As a teen I sold twenties, spendin' my own money Steppin' out my parents' house the city was home to me In Riverside Park we would kick it after dark By the pier, with some beers, and the piff that we would spark Then run up in house parties and turn 'em to our party The neighbors would call cops, 'cause we would get wild rowdy 'Nother night, 'nother page written in life's journal 9 million stories in a city with 5 boroughs Different backgrounds but we came through the same struggle Dreamin' of fame we wrote our names on the train tunnels Runnin' 'round the city like rats in crawl spaces Catchin' court cases for jackin' North Faces Chasin' the fast life, we know that its too short And breathin' the air here's like smokin' a Newport My home is in New York like Biggie in Bed Stuy We live and we let die, the City of NY (City!) New York, New York (New York, New York, New York, New York) And you say New York City My city, my home (New York, New York, New York, New York) (ooh-ooh-ooh-ahh) And you say New York City My city, my home (New York, New York, New York, New York) And you say New York City With me in my heart Weather I'm here or gone