Empire State Of Mind
Jay Z Ft Alicia Keys - New York(musiclife.kz) Lyrics

Yea
A phrase to show agreement or excitement.

Yea I'm out that Brooklyn, now I'm down in Tribeca
I used to live in Brooklyn, but now I live in Tribeca.

Right next to DeNiro, but I'll be hood forever
I may live in a fancy area next to DeNiro, but I'll always stay true to the streets.

I'm the new Sinatra, and, since I made it here
I'm like the new Frank Sinatra, and since I've achieved success in New York City,

I can make it anywhere, yea, they love me everywhere
I can make it anywhere and people everywhere love me.

I used to cop in Harlem, all of my Dominicano's
I used to buy drugs in Harlem from all of my Dominican friends.

Right there up on Broadway, pull me back to that McDonald's
I used to hang out on Broadway Street and even ate at McDonald's there.

Took it to my stashbox, 560 State St.
I took my drugs to keep them hidden in my stashbox located at 560 State St.

Catch me in the kitchen like a Simmons wippin' pastry's
You can find me in the kitchen like Simmons, making pastries.

Cruisin' down 8th St., off white Lexus
I drive my off-white Lexus slowly down 8th St.

Drivin' so slow, but BK is from Texas
I drive slowly because I'm from Brooklyn, which is in New York, not from Texas.

Me, I'm out that Bed-Stuy, home of that boy Biggie
I'm from Bed-Stuy, where Biggie (The Notorious B.I.G) was also from.

Now I live on Billboard and I brought my boys with me
Now I'm successful and my friends are also successful.

Say whattup to Ty-Ty, still sippin' Mai Tai's
Give my regards to Ty-Ty, who is still drinking a Mai Tai (a cocktail).

Sittin' courtside, Knicks and Nets give me high five
Sitting in the front row of NBA games, the New York Knicks and Nets players give me high fives.

N**** I be Spike'd out, I could trip a referee
I'm dressed like Spike Lee (film director) and could even make a referee stumble.

Tell by my attitude that I'm most definitely from
You can tell that I'm from... (it's unfinished, but it's implied that it's New York).

In New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of
New York is like a concrete jungle where you can achieve your wildest dreams.

There's nothin' you can't do
There's nothing you can't achieve in New York City.

Now you're in New York
Now that you're in New York City...

These streets will make you feel brand new
The streets of New York will give you a sense of renewal.

The lights will inspire you
The bright lights of New York City will inspire you.

Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York
Let's give a cheer for New York City!

Catch me at the X with OG at a Yankee game
You can find me at the X (referring to the Yankee Stadium) with OG (Original Gangster) at a Yankee game.

S***, I made the Yankee hat more famous then a Yankee can
I made the Yankee hat more famous than even the Yankees themselves.

You should know I bleed blue, but I ain't a Crip though
I'm a big Yankees fan, but I'm not involved in the Crips gang.

But I got a gang of n****s walkin' with my clique though
I have a group of friends who walk with me.

Welcome to the melting pot, corners where we sellin' rock
Welcome to the melting pot, where drug dealing occurs on the corners.

Afrika Bambataa s***, home of the hip-hop
Referring to Afrika Bambaataa (a prominent figure in hip-hop culture), and how hip-hop originated in New York City.

Yellow cab, gypsy cab, dollar cab, holla back
Different types of cabs in New York, and you can holler back to get one.

For foreigners it ain't for, they act like they forgot how to act
New York City isn't for foreigners who forget how to behave properly.

8 million stories, out there in it naked
There are 8 million stories in New York City, and many of them are exposed out in the open.

City is a pity, half of y'all won't make it
The city is tough, and many people won't succeed.

Me, I got a plug, Special Ed 'I Got It Made'
I have connections, just like Special Ed (rapper) has in his song 'I Got It Made'.

If Jesus payin' Lebron, I'm payin' Dwayne Wade
A hypothetical thought that if Jesus paid LeBron James (basketball player), I would pay Dwayne Wade (former basketball player).

Three dice cee-lo, three card monte
References to gambling games played on the streets of New York City.

Labor Day Parade, rest in peace Bob Marley
Celebrating the Labor Day Parade in New York City and paying homage to Bob Marley (reggae legend).

Statue of Liberty, long live the World Trade
Paying tribute to the Statue of Liberty and the World Trade Center.

Long live the King yo, I'm from the Empire St. that's
Long live the king! I'm from the Empire State (referring to New York State).

Lights is blinding, girls need blinders
The lights in New York are too bright, which is why girls need sunglasses.

So they can step out of bounds quick, the sidelines is
So they can quickly get out of the way of danger (referring to stepping out of the bounds of a basketball court).

Lined with casualties, who sip to life casually
The sidelines are dangerous and filled with people who casually drink to forget their troubles.

Then gradually become worse, don't bite the apple, Eve
People on the sidelines tend to slowly become worse off, like how Eve was tempted by the apple in the Garden of Eden.

Caught up in the in-crowd, now you're in style
When you're part of the in-crowd, you're trendy and in style.

End of the winter gets cold, en vogue, with your skin out
At the end of winter, it's still cold in New York, but people still dress fashionably and show off their skin.

City of sin, it's a pity on the wind
New York City is a city full of sin, and it's pitiful how it's affecting everyone.

Good girls gone bad, the city's filled with them
Good girls in New York City tend to become bad girls because of all the temptations and influences around them.

Mommy took a bus trip, now she got her bust out
A mother took a bus trip (possibly from out of town) and is now showing off her cleavage or new body.

Everybody ride her, just like a bus route
Everyone is taking advantage of the mother, just like how people ride a bus on a regular route.

Hail Mary to the city, you're a virgin
A reference to the Hail Mary prayer and how the city of New York is a virgin, still waiting to be discovered.

And Jesus can't save you, life starts when the church end
Jesus can't save you from experiencing the tough life that begins after you leave the safety of the church.

Came here for school, graduated to the high life
Came to New York to study and then graduated to a luxurious lifestyle.

Ball players, rap stars, addicted to the limelight
Basketball players and rappers are addicted to the attention and fame that comes with their success.

MDMA got you feelin' like a champion
The drug MDMA (commonly referred to as ecstasy) makes you feel like a champion or invincible.

The city never sleeps, better slip you an Ambien
The city is always bustling and never sleeps, so you might need a medication like Ambien to help you sleep.

One hand in the air for the big city
Raising one hand in the air to symbolize representing the big city.

Street lights, big dreams, all lookin' pretty
The street lights shine bright, everyone has big dreams, and everything looks pretty in the big city.

No place in the world that could compare
There's no other place in the world that compares to New York City.

Put your lighters in the air
A command to raise lighters in the air during a concert, as a sign of participation and unity.

Everybody say 'yeaaaa, yeaaa, yeaaa, yeaaaa'
A chant to express enthusiasm and excitement.

In New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of
Referring to New York City as a concrete jungle where people's dreams can come true.

There's nothin' you can't do
You can achieve anything in New York City if you put your mind to it.

Now you're in New York
Now that you're in New York City...

These streets will make you feel brand new
The streets of New York will give you a sense of renewal and new beginnings.

The lights will inspire you
The bright lights of New York City will inspire you to achieve great things.

Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York
Let's give another cheer for the amazing city of New York!