Empire State of Mind, Part II (Broken Down)
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Intro
Ooh, New YorkOoh, New YorkVerse 1
Grew up in a town that is famous as a place of movie scenesNoise is always loud, there are sirens all around and the streets are meanIf I can make it here, I can make it anywhere, that's what they saySeein' my face in lights or my name on marquees found down on BroadwayPre-Chorus
Even if it ain't all it seems (Come on)I got a pocketful of dreams (Come on)Chorus
Baby, I'm from New York (Oh, yeah)Concrete jungle where dreams are made of (Oh, come on)There's nothin' you can't do (Come on)Now you're in New York (Oh, yeah)These streets will make you feel brand-new (Oh, come on)Big lights will inspire you (Big shine)Hear it for New York (Uh), New York (Yeah), New York (Uh)Verse 2
On the avenue, there ain't ever a curfew, ladies work so hardSuch a meltin' pot, on the corner sellin' rock, preachers pray to GodHail a gypsy cab, takes me down from Harlem to the Brooklyn BridgeSomeone sleeps tonight with a hunger far more than an empty fridgePre-Chorus
I'ma make it by any means (Come on)I got a pocketful of dreams (Come on)Chorus
Baby, I'm from New York (Oh, yeah)Concrete jungle where dreams are made of (Oh, come on)There's nothin' you can't do (Come on)Now you're in New York (Oh, yeah)These streets will make you feel brand-new (Oh, come on)Big lights will inspire you (Big shine)Hear it for New York (Uh), New York (Yeah), New York (Uh)Bridge
One hand in the air for the big city (Uh)Street lights, big dreams, all lookin' pretty (Yeah)No place in the world that can compare (Uh)Put your lighters in the airEverybody say, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah"Chorus
In New York (Oh, yeah)Concrete jungle where dreams are made of (Oh, come on)There's nothin' you can't do (Come on)Now you're in New York (Oh, yeah)These streets will make you feel brand-new (Oh, come on)Big lights will inspire you (Big shine)Hear it for New YorkWhat the song means
A celebration of New York City as a place where dreams become reality despite hardship. The song acknowledges the city's struggles—poverty, crime, exhaustion—while emphasizing its transformative power to inspire ambition and success in anyone who lives there.
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concrete jungle — urban environment that's tough but vibrant
describes NYC as both harsh and full of life