"Way Up In New York City" lyrics - LOUDON WAINWRIGHT III

Way up in New York City - that's where we did go -
A fella called Frank Walker there - he owns a studio.
We made us a recording right there on old Broadway,
And for a week or 2 we got the hell away from Spray.
Way up in New York City - that's the place to be,
Where the buildings are so high the sky is hard to see.
In a city full of strangers humanity's a show -
No, it's not like Spray where everyday you meet the folks you know.
Way up in New York City - pretty women everywhere -
After awhile a married man forgets who isn't there.

Those city gals in New York town can turn a cracker's head,
And a wife in Spray's so far away she might as well be dead
Way up in New York City - all those taverns and saloons -
You never saw so much sawdust or so many spittoons.
There's a cop on every corner - he's there to keep the peace,
And there's lots of trees in Central Park, well, two or three at least.
We wound up in Passaic - that's a town in New Jersey,
And we stayed with Posey's pal from Franklin County, Jim Holley.
We took jobs in Jersey just to make a little dough,
Then we had our audition - into New York we did go.

We rode an elevator - poor Posey, he got sick -
He threw up in a fire bucket, not a pretty trick.
But we got to the audition and we played Frank "The Deal" -
He said, "Boys, let's make a record" - good was how that made us feel!
They paid us for 4 numbers, greenback dollars, cash in hand -
More than a week's wage in the mill - 25 a man.
3rd class was all we could afford on the train back home to Spray,
But we stayed drunk inside that car for 2 nights and 1 day.
Back home from New York City, we were heroes back in Spray,
So guilty and hung over there was not a lot to say.

It got a little awkward, talking to the wives,
'Cause we couldn't tell 'em how we had the best time of out lives
Way up in New York City - that's the place to be -
Where the buildings are so high the sky is hard to see.
If I go back to New York town, next time I'll go alone.
I'll keep all the money - I won't bother goin' home.
I'll keep all the money and I'll make New York my home.