Empire State Of Mind _320
Jay Z feat. Alicia Keys Lyrics
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Yea I'm out that Brooklyn, now I'm down in Tribeca
Right next to DeNiro, but I'll be hood forever
I'm the new Sinatra, and, since I made it here
I can make it anywhere, yea, they love me everywhere
I used to cop in Harlem, all of my Dominicano's
Right there up on Broadway, pull me back to that McDonald's
Catch me in the kitchen like a Simmons wippin' pastry's
Cruisin' down 8th St., off white Lexus
Drivin' so slow, but BK is from Texas
Me, I'm out that Bed-Stuy, home of that boy Biggie
Now I live on Billboard and I brought my boys with me
Say whattup to Ty-Ty, still sippin' Mai Tai's
Sittin' courtside, Knicks and Nets give me high five
N**** I be Spike'd out, I could trip a referee
Tell by my attitude that I'm most definitely from
In New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do
Now you're in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
The lights will inspire you
Let's hear it for New York, New York,
New York
Catch me at the X with OG at a Yankee game
S***, I made the Yankee hat more famous then a Yankee can
You should know I bleed blue, but I ain't a Crip though
But I got a gang of n****s walkin' with my clique though
Welcome to the melting pot, corners where we sellin' rock
Afrika Bambataa s***, home of the hip-hop
Yellow cab, gypsy cab, dollar cab, holla back
For foreigners it ain't for, they act like they forgot how to act
8 million stories, out there in it naked
City is a pity, half of y'all won't make it
Me, I got a plug, Special Ed "I Got It Made"
If Jesus payin' Lebron, I'm payin' Dwayne Wade
Three dice cee-lo, three card monte
Labor Day Parade, rest in peace Bob Marley
Statue of Liberty, long live the World Trade
Long live the King yo, I'm from the Empire St. that's
In New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do
Now you're in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
The lights will inspire you
Let's hear it for New York, New York,
New York
Lights is blinding, girls need blinders
So they can step out of bounds quick, the sidelines is
Lined with casualties, who sip to life casually
Then gradually become worse, don't bite the apple, Eve
Caught up in the in-crowd, now you're in style
End of the winter gets cold, en vogue, with your skin out
City of sin, it's a pity on the wind
Good girls gone bad, the city's filled with them
Mommy took a bus trip, now she got her bust out
Everybody ride her, just like a bus route
Hail Mary to the city, you're a virgin
And Jesus can't save you, life starts when the church end
Came here for school, graduated to the high life
Ball players, rap stars, addicted to the limelight
MDMA got you feelin' like a champion
The city never sleeps, better slip you an Ambien
In New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do
Now you're in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
The lights will inspire you
Let's hear it for New York, New York,
New York
One hand in the air for the big city
Street lights, big dreams, all lookin' pretty
No place in the world that could compare
Put your lighters in the air
Everybody say "yeaaaa, yeaaa, yeaaa, yeaaaa"
In New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do
Now you're in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
The lights will inspire you
Let's hear it for New York, New York,
New York
The lyrics of Jay-Z's and Alicia Keys' "Empire State of Mind" are a love letter to New York City. In the first verse, Jay-Z speaks about his personal journey from Brooklyn to Tribeca, where he now lives next to the legendary actor Robert De Niro. Yet, he affirms that he will always be true to his roots. He then compares himself to Frank Sinatra, saying that he could make it anywhere since he made it in the city. Furthermore, he talks about his past life as a drug dealer on Broadway and buying food at McDonald's, and how he now lives in luxury. In the chorus, Alicia Keys sings about the unique energy and inspiration one can feel in New York City, where anything is possible.
The second verse highlights the grittier parts of the city, with Jay-Z mentioning selling crack on street corners and quoting the famous hip-hop artist Afrika Bambaataa. He also shouts out Yankee fans and how he made the Yankee hat famous. The chorus is repeated, followed by the bridge where Alicia Keys describes the city's dichotomy where the lights can blind and girls need blinders to not stray too far. The city is filled with good girls gone bad, and it's a pity on the wind. Still, it's a place where one can achieve the high life with perseverance. Lastly, she asks everyone to put their lighters up for the big city, solidifying the song's loving tribute to the city that never sleeps.
Line by Line Meaning
Yea
Introduction, expressing 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 live next to Robert DeNiro, but I'll never forget my roots
I'm the new Sinatra, and, since I made it here
I'm like the new Frank Sinatra, and since I succeeded in NYC,
I can make it anywhere, yea, they love me everywhere
I can succeed 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 my Dominican friends
Right there up on Broadway, pull me back to that McDonald's
I used to buy drugs on Broadway, near that McDonald's
Took it to my stashbox, 560 State St.
I stored my drugs at 560 State St.
Catch me in the kitchen like a Simmons wippin' pastry's
You'll find me cooking like a chef in the kitchen
Cruisin' down 8th St., off white Lexus
I drive down 8th St. in my off-white Lexus
Drivin' so slow, but BK is from Texas
I drive slowly, but Brooklyn is my home town
Me, I'm out that Bed-Stuy, home of that boy Biggie
I'm from Bed-Stuy, where the late rapper Notorious B.I.G. grew up
Now I live on Billboard and I brought my boys with me
Now I'm famous and I've brought my friends along
Say whattup to Ty-Ty, still sippin' Mai Tai's
Say hi to my friend Ty-Ty who's still enjoying Mai Tai cocktails
Sittin' courtside, Knicks and Nets give me high five
I sit beside basketball courts and the players give me high fives
N**** I be Spike'd out, I could trip a referee
I wear clothing from Spike Lee's line, and I could argue with a referee
Tell by my attitude that I'm most definitely from
You can tell from my demeanor that I'm from
In New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of
New York is a city with lots of opportunities to achieve one's dreams
There's nothin' you can't do
Anything is possible
Now you're in New York
If you're here, you're in a city with endless opportunities
These streets will make you feel brand new
Walking around the city can make you feel invigorated and alive
The lights will inspire you
The city lights can be awe-inspiring and motivating
Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York
Let's give a shoutout to New York City
Catch me at the X with OG at a Yankee game
You might find me at the X (Stadium) with OG at a Yankees game
S***, I made the Yankee hat more famous then a Yankee can
I made the Yankees baseball cap more popular than the team did
You should know I bleed blue, but I ain't a Crip though
I'm a big Yankees fan, but I'm not affiliated with any gang
But I got a gang of n****s walkin' with my clique though
I have a lot of friends walking with me
Welcome to the melting pot, corners where we sellin' rock
Welcome to the city's diverse population, where we sell drugs on street corners
Afrika Bambataa s***, home of the hip-hop
The birthplace of Hip Hop music
Yellow cab, gypsy cab, dollar cab, holla back
Different types of taxis can be found in the city - call one over when you need it
For foreigners it ain't for, they act like they forgot how to act
The city is not everyone's cup of tea and foreigners sometimes behave badly
8 million stories, out there in it naked
The city's population is vast and diverse, and many people struggle
City is a pity, half of y'all won't make it
The city can be tough, and many people don't succeed
Me, I got a plug, Special Ed "I Got It Made"
I have connections that help me out a lot
If Jesus payin' Lebron, I'm payin' Dwayne Wade
If LeBron James is being paid through divine intervention, then I will pay Dwayne Wade myself
Three dice cee-lo, three card monte
These are games of chance played on the streets
Labor Day Parade, rest in peace Bob Marley
The Labor Day Parade takes place in the city every year; Bob Marley passed away and is remembered fondly
Statue of Liberty, long live the World Trade
Two iconic symbols of the city; one celebrates liberty, the other commemorates tragedy
Long live the King yo, I'm from the Empire St. that's
Long live the King is a shoutout to the city; I'm from the Empire State building, which is a symbol of the city
Lights is blinding, girls need blinders
The bright lights of the city can be overwhelming and distracting
So they can step out of bounds quick, the sidelines is
So they don't get distracted, especially on the sidelines
Lined with casualties, who sip to life casually
The city has many lost souls who drink away their lives
Then gradually become worse, don't bite the apple, Eve
Many people in the city deteriorate, so be careful not to fall into temptation
Caught up in the in-crowd, now you're in style
Don't get too caught up in being part of a popular crowd
End of the winter gets cold, en vogue, with your skin out
In trend, it's fashionable to wear less clothing even in winter
City of sin, it's a pity on the wind
The city is often referred to as the place of sin and it's a shame
Good girls gone bad, the city's filled with them
Even good girls can turn bad in the city
Mommy took a bus trip, now she got her bust out
A woman took a bus trip to the city and became famous
Everybody ride her, just like a bus route
Many people are taking advantage of her, like they would ride a bus
Hail Mary to the city, you're a virgin
A reference to prayer and the city's purity or hope for a better future
And Jesus can't save you, life starts when the church end
Jesus won't be able to save you; your life starts after you leave church
Came here for school, graduated to the high life
Came to the city for education, graduated to a luxurious lifestyle
Ball players, rap stars, addicted to the limelight
Athletes and musicians crave the attention they receive in the city
MDMA got you feelin' like a champion
Reference to a drug that makes you feel invincible
The city never sleeps, better slip you an Ambien
The city is always active and you'll probably need a sleeping pill to rest
One hand in the air for the big city
We celebrate the city with one hand held high
Street lights, big dreams, all lookin' pretty
The city's sights and big dreams all look amazing
No place in the world that could compare
There's no other city in the world that can be compared to this one
Put your lighters in the air
A sign of celebration and tribute to the city
Everybody say "yeaaaa, yeaaa, yeaaa, yeaaaa"
Everyone is encouraged to raise their voices in celebration of the city
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALEXANDER WILLIAM SHUCKBURGH, ALICIA J AUGELLO-COOK, ANGELA HUNTE, BERT KEYES, JANETTE SEWELL, SHAWN C CARTER, SYLVIA ROBINSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind