New York City
Adrianne Lenker & Buck Meek Lyrics


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New York City gripped me, like a big old machine
I went into one side and landed in a dream
It stirred me up and made me shout
And sometimes I forgot about
The way the wind blows in and out
The cottonwood trees

And oh, it's easy to lose your mind
I might've lost mine
If I hadn't found you

The avenues, the boulevards
Businesses and school yards
Shopping malls and motorcars
All in one scene

The lowest lows, and the highest highs
The meanest noise and the lullabies
The poison and the compromise
The unspoken scream

And oh, it's so hard to find your place
And I never found mine
If I hadn't seen your face

And you can be my Buster Keaton, I'll be Blossom Dearie
We can see the world so clearly
You'll colour the grey away
I will sing you songs all day
The decay will just turn to blue moons
As we look at the good old-fashioned moon

Well, New York City split me like a log in a mill
Half of me happy, the other half ill
But I feel myself a-warming to the old neon chill
I still feel a longing, but its chased by a thrill

And oh, its so hard to find your place
I'd never found mine
If I hadn't seen your face

And you can be my Buster Keaton, I'll be Blossom Dearie
We can see the world so clearly
You'll colour the grey away
And I will sing you songs all day




The decay will just turn to blue moons
We look at the good old-fashioned moon

Overall Meaning

The song "New York City" by Adrianne Lenker & Buck Meek captures the feeling of being swept away by the overwhelming, chaotic energy of the city that never sleeps. The opening lines of the song immediately set the tone, describing the city as a massive machine that consumes and transforms those who enter it. The dreamlike quality of the experience is emphasized by the repetition of the word "dream" throughout the lyrics.


Despite the excitement and wonder of exploring the city, the lyrics also reveal the darker side of living in New York. The city is portrayed as a place of extremes, where the highs are very high but the lows are equally low. The noise, pollution, and constant crowds can make it difficult for someone to keep their grip on reality. Yet, through all of this, the singer finds solace in a relationship that helps her feel grounded and supported.


The final verses of the song reveal a sense of acceptance and understanding that comes from living in New York City. Despite feeling split in two, the singer is able to find meaning in the chaos and beauty in the decay. The contrast between Buster Keaton and Blossom Dearie, two very different entertainers, illustrates the wide range of experiences that can be found in the city.


Overall, "New York City" is a song that captures the complexity of this iconic metropolis, where the highs and lows coexist and every corner holds a new surprise.


Line by Line Meaning

New York City gripped me, like a big old machine
The city of New York engulfed me like a large, complex system.


I went into one side and landed in a dream
I entered the city from one end and felt like I was living in a dream.


It stirred me up and made me shout
The city got me excited and made me express myself.


And sometimes I forgot about the way the wind blows in and out The cottonwood trees
At times, I was so preoccupied with the city's energy that I overlooked the natural elements around me.


And oh, it's easy to lose your mind I might've lost mine If I hadn't found you
Living in the city can be overwhelming, and I might have lost my mind if I didn't have someone to ground me.


The avenues, the boulevards Businesses and school yards Shopping malls and motorcars All in one scene
The city contained numerous elements that were all part of one larger scene.


The lowest lows, and the highest highs The meanest noise and the lullabies The poison and the compromise The unspoken scream
The city was a place of extremes, containing both the best and worst aspects of society.


And oh, it's so hard to find your place And I never found mine If I hadn't seen your face
It's challenging to find a sense of belonging in the city, and I would have never felt at home if I didn't find that special someone.


And you can be my Buster Keaton, I'll be Blossom Dearie We can see the world so clearly You'll colour the grey away I will sing you songs all day The decay will just turn to blue moons As we look at the good old-fashioned moon
We can be each other's balance in the whirlwind of the city, creating a beautiful life together.


Well, New York City split me like a log in a mill Half of me happy, the other half ill But I feel myself a-warming to the old neon chill I still feel a longing, but its chased by a thrill
The city broke me apart, creating a mix of emotions, but I found comfort in the city's familiar neon lights and the thrill of the unknown.


And oh, its so hard to find your place I'd never found mine If I hadn't seen your face
Again, finding your place in the city is difficult, and without finding that someone special, I would have never felt like I belonged.


And you can be my Buster Keaton, I'll be Blossom Dearie We can see the world so clearly You'll colour the grey away And I will sing you songs all day The decay will just turn to blue moons We look at the good old-fashioned moon
Together, we can see the world through new eyes, bringing color and song to the city, and finding beauty in the decay.




Writer(s): Adrianne Elizabeth Lenker

Contributed by Camden V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@justineleitao

New York City gripped me like a big old machine
I went into one side and landed in a dream
It stirred me up, and made me shout
And sometimes i forgot about
The way the wind blows in and out of cottonwood trees

And oh, its easy to lose your mind
I might've lost mine if i hadnt found you

The avenues, the boulevards, the businesses and schoolyards
Shopping malls and motorcars, all in one scene
The lowest lows and the highest highs
The meanest noise and the lullabies
The poison and the compromise
The unspoken scream

And oh, its so hard to find your place
And i'd never have found mine if I hadn't seen your face

And you can be my Buster Keaton, I'll be Blossom Dearie
We can see the world so clearly
You'll cover the gray away 'n I will sing you songs all day
The decay will just turn to bloom as we look at the good old-fashioned moon

Well, New York City split me like a log in a mill
Half of me happy, the other half ill
But I feel myself a-warming to the old neon chill
I still feel a longing, but its chased by a thrill
And oh, it's so hard to find your place
I'd never have found mine, if I hadn't seen your face

And you can be my Buster Keaton, I'll be Blossom Dearie
We can see the world so clearly
You'll cover the gray away 'n I will sing you songs all day
The decay will just turn to bloom as we look at the good old-fashioned moon

@nehaltahawy9162

<3

@cdigdawg

"The other half, eww"... I love her lyrics.

@d1sjoint

the other half ill*

@godwinemanuel4546

From Bbc music life.. beautiful music....

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