F# G# Bm F#
[Verse 1]
F# G#
Life and death in an alleyway
Bm F#
Just a heartbeat away from a man
F# G#
Who's learned to turn his head away
Bm F#
From the pain that drains the land
E B
Harlem's not too far from here
Bm F#
You can smell the garbage, feel the fear
A7 Dmaj7
I hear they're gonna build a sky-scraper there
G#m7 C#7 A#m7 D#m7 G#m
As if we didn't need the extra air
C#7
[Chorus]
F# A#m
New York city blues
G#m C#7
In order to win, you gotta lose
F# A#m
Old before your time
G#m7
The dirt and the grime
C#7
Get into everything
A#m7 D#m7
And the papers love to say
Bmaj7 E7
It's the meanest town in the USA
F# B C# F#
But I think it's OK, it's the town I've made my home
[Verse 2]
F# G#
On another side of Park Avenue
Bm F#
Respectable folks don't know
F# G#
Hungry eyes take in the view
Bm F#
Of the world that lays them low
E B
Too many years on a welfare line
Bm F#
The old song and dance time after time
A7 Dmaj7
You can only get so pushed around
G#m7 C#7 A#m7 D#m7 G#m
Until you wanna tear the damn thing down
C#7
[Chorus]
F# A#m
New York city blues
G#m C#7
In order to win, you gotta lose
F# A#m
Old before your time
G#m7
The dirt and the grime
C#7
Get into everything
A#m7 D#m7
And the papers love to say
Bmaj7 E7
It's the meanest town in the USA
F# B C# F#
But I think it's OK, it's the town I've made my home
F# A#m
New York city blues
G#m C#7
In order to win, you gotta lose
F# A#m
Old before your time
G#m7
The dirt and the grime
C#7
Get into everything
A#m7 D#m7
And the papers love to say
Bmaj7 E7
It's the meanest town in the USA
F# B C# F#
But I think it's OK, it's the town I've made my home
