New York City Serenade
Pete Yorn Lyrics

Billy, he's down by the railroad tracks
Billy is hanging out by the train tracks

Sittin' low in the back seat of his Cadillac
He's sitting in the back of his Cadillac with a low posture

And Diamond Jackie, oh, she's so intact
Diamond Jackie looks great and confident

As she falls so softly beneath him
She's leaning back against him and they're getting cozy

Jackie's heels are static
She's standing still and not moving her feet

Billy's got cleats on his boots
Billy is wearing shoes with cleats on the bottom, possibly for dancing

Together they're gonna boogaloo down Broadway and come back home with the news
They're going to dance down Broadway and then come back and share their experiences

Yeah, it's midnight in Manhattan, this ain't no time to get cute
It's late at night in a big city and it's not a time to act foolish

It's a mad dog's promenade, so walk tall
The city can be dangerous so you need to have confidence and stand tall

Or, baby, don't walk at all
If you don't feel confident, it's better not to take unnecessary risks

Fish lady, fish lady, fish lady, she breaks down them tenement walls
A woman who sells fish is strong enough to break through the walls of a poor housing complex

Won't take corner boys, ain't got no money and they're so easy
She won't sell to young and poor boys who are an easy catch

I say, 'Hey there, baby, won't you take my hand, move with me down Broadway
A man is asking a woman to dance with him down Broadway

I say, 'Mama, won't you take my arm and move with me, move with me down Broadway
Another man is asking a woman to walk down Broadway with him

I'm a young man, I talk it real loud
He's a young man who speaks with confidence

I say a young man, I'm gonna walk it really proud for ya
He's going to walk with pride for the woman he's with

So shake it away
Forget about your problems and dance

Shake away the city life
Forget about the stress of city living

Shake away the street life
Let go of the difficulties of living on the street

And hook up to the train
Board the train and travel to a different place

But I know that she won't take the train, no, she won't take the train
The woman he's with is hesitant to board the train

She's afraid them tracks are gonna slow her down
She's scared of the tracks and thinks it will impede her progress

And when she turns, this boy'll be gone
If she doesn't go with him, he'll leave her behind

So long
Goodbye

Sometimes, you gotta walk on
Sometimes you have to leave people behind and keep moving forward

Hey, jazz man
A man is talking to a jazz musician

Hey, vibes man
He's talking to a vibraphone player

Won't you sing me a serenade
He wants the musician to play a beautiful song for him

In the deeper blue, you'll be playin' in your parade
He thinks the musician will sound even better in a different setting

So save your notes, don't y'spend 'em on the blues, boys
The musician should save his good notes for a special occasion

Yeah, save your notes, don't spend 'em on the darlin' so long
Don't waste your beautiful music on someone who's leaving

Straight for the church note ringin'
The music will have a beautiful religious sound

Vibes man, sting a trash can
The music will sound beautiful even if played on garbage cans

Listen to your junk man
Even a junk collector might have something worth hearing

He's singin'
The junk collector is singing

Singin'
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He's singin'
Continuation of the previous line