New York Girls
Steeleye Span Lyrics


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As I walked down through Chatham Street
A fair maid I did meet,
She asked me to see her home--
She lived in Bleecker Street.
Chorus:
And away you santy, my dear honey,
O you New York girls, can't you dance the polka?
And when we got to Bleecker Street,
We stopped at forty-four,
Her mother and her sister there,
To meet her at the door.
Chorus:
And when I got inside the house,
The drinks were passed around,
The liquor was so awful strong,
My head went round and round.
Chorus:
And then we had another drink,
Before we sat to eat,
The liquor was so awful strong,
I quickly fell asleep.
Chorus:
([Spoken] Henry Crun: Oh, come on, Min; play that modern banjo, Min.)
(Minnie Bannister: Ya pa pa pa pa....)
When I awoke next morning
I had an aching head,
There was I, Jack all alone,
Stark naked in me bed.
Chorus:
My gold watch and my pocketbook
And lady friend were gone;
And there was I, Jack all alone,
Stark naked in the room.
Chorus:
On looking round this little room,
There's nothing I could see,
But a woman's shift and apron
That were no use to me.
Chorus:
With a flour barrel for a suit of clothes,
Down Cherry Street forlorn,
There Martin Churchill took me in,
And sent me 'round Cape Horn.




Chorus:
Sam Waring

Overall Meaning

The song "New York Girls" by Steeleye Span is a traditional folk song that tells the humorous story of a sailor's misadventure with a New York woman. The singer meets a fair maid while walking down Chatham Street, who invites him to her home on Bleecker Street. When they arrive, he is greeted by her mother and sister and they share some strong liquor, causing him to fall asleep. He wakes up in the morning to find his lady friend and belongings gone, and ends up wandering the streets of New York in a flour barrel for clothes until he is taken in by a man named Martin Churchill.


The lyrics of the song are filled with playful innuendos and double entendres, and the chorus is a catchy and upbeat tune that is repeated throughout the song. The chorus also references the popular dance of the time, the polka, and highlights the lively and festive atmosphere of New York nightlife.


Overall, "New York Girls" is a humorous and entertaining song that captures the fun and folly of sailors and their encounters with women in port cities like New York.


Line by Line Meaning

As I walked down through Chatham Street
While walking down Chatham Street, I encountered a fair maid.


A fair maid I did meet,
I met a beautiful girl.


She asked me to see her home--
She invited me to escort her home.


She lived in Bleecker Street.
Her residence was on Bleecker Street.


And away you santy, my dear honey,
An exclamation expressing excitement.


O you New York girls, can't you dance the polka?
New York girls are skilled dancers.


And when we got to Bleecker Street,
Upon arrival at Bleecker Street.


We stopped at forty-four,
We stopped at number 44.


Her mother and her sister there,
Her mother and sister were present.


To meet her at the door.
They greeted her at the door.


And when I got inside the house,
After entering the house.


The drinks were passed around,
Drinks were distributed to everyone.


The liquor was so awful strong,
The alcohol was very potent.


My head went round and round.
I felt dizzy and disoriented.


And then we had another drink,
Another drink was consumed.


Before we sat to eat,
Before we had a meal.


I quickly fell asleep.
I promptly dozed off.


Oh, come on, Min; play that modern banjo, Min.) (Minnie Bannister: Ya pa pa pa pa....)
A brief snippet of dialog and banjo music.


When I awoke next morning
When I woke up the following day.


I had an aching head,
I had a headache.


There was I, Jack all alone,
I found myself alone.


Stark naked in me bed.
I was completely undressed in bed.


My gold watch and my pocketbook
My watch and money.


And lady friend were gone;
The girl I was with had left.


And there was I, Jack all alone,
I was still alone.


Stark naked in the room.
I was naked in the room.


On looking round this little room,
Upon inspecting the small room.


There's nothing I could see,
There was nothing visible.


But a woman's shift and apron
Only a woman's clothing was present.


That were no use to me.
They were of no practical use to me.


With a flour barrel for a suit of clothes,
Having makeshift clothing made from a flour barrel.


Down Cherry Street forlorn,
Walking sadly down Cherry Street.


There Martin Churchill took me in,
Martin Churchill offered me assistance.


And sent me 'round Cape Horn.
And helped me get a job as a sailor.




Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: MADDY PRIOR, NIGEL PEGRUM, PETER KNIGHT, RICK KEMP, ROBERT JOHNSON, TIM HART

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@davidjanson9900

agreed ,this calls for a shanty top ten
1 stormy weather boys
2 rio grande
3 whiskey johnny
4 mr stormalong
5 haul away joe
6 greenland whale fisheries
7 lowlands
8 the sailors alphabet
9 farwell and adieu
10 drunken sailor



All comments from YouTube:

@TheUncleBilly

Priceless, and a wonderful memory of the versatility of Peter Sellers.

@QMPhilosophe

I saw Steeleye Span in 1973 - have been listening to them ever since. What a great band!

@jocksmen

MAGNIFICENT..........Remember the airplay when this came out. Peter Sellers "CLASS ACT" taken far too soon from us (RIP).

@eddiehawkins7049

Only ever saw Maddy Prior once, but the fun and happiness she exuded has stayed with me for 40 years or so.

@johnatkin69

She's a lovely woman too. After we saw Steeleye play at York's Grand Opera House once, we sat with Maddy and some of the rest of the band and had a few beers afterwards. She's very down to earth and friendly, as were the others. They shut the bar before Bob Johnson could get a drink and he stormed off in a huff which was a shame because he was the only one who didn't sign my programme.

@jamesgornall5731

Had my picture taken with her last year with my Mother, a lifelong Steeleye fan who went from 71 to 16 in the blink of an eye

@skylarkman2000

Amazing band , true musicians. Lovely song too !

@LeighLofgrenPhotographer

just fabulous listening to them and they were the best

@jamesgornall5731

Still touring

@ClaireRhymesw1thBear

Played this song while cooking dinner. Noticed my daughter dancing "The floss" to it. Proof its a dance worthy tune no matter your generation.

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