Englishman In New York Lyrics
I like my toast done on one side.
And you can hear it in my accent when I talk,
I'm an Englishman in New York.
You see me walking down Fifth Avenue,
A walking cane here at my side.
I take it everywhere I walk,
I'm an Englishman in New York.
Whoa. I'm an alien.
I'm a legal alien.
I'm an Englishman in New York.
Whoa. I'm an alien.
I'm a legal alien.
I'm an Englishman in New York.
If "manners maketh man" as someone said,
He's the hero of the day.
It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile.
Be yourself no matter what they say.
Whoa. I'm an alien.
I'm a legal alien.
I'm an Englishman in New York.
Whoa. I'm an alien.
I'm a legal alien.
I'm an Englishman in New York.
Modesty, propriety can lead to notoriety,
But you could end up as the only one.
Gentleness, sobriety are rare in this society.
At night a candle's brighter than the sun.
Takes more than combat gear to make a man.
Takes more than a license for a gun.
Confront your enemies, avoid them when you can.
A gentleman will walk but never run.
If "manners maketh man" as someone said,
He's the hero of the day.
It takes a man to suffer ignorance and mile.
Be yourself no matter what they say.
Be yourself no matter what they say.
Be yourself no matter what they say.
Be yourself no matter what they say.
Be yourself no matter what they say.
Be yourself no matter what they say.
Be yourself no matter what they say.
Be yourself no matter what they say.
Be yourself no matter what they say.
Be yourself no matter what they say.
[Sting]: Englishman in New York (1987) is about Quentin Crisp. He's one of the most charming, witty and courageous men I know. He was openly gay not only when it was dangerous, but when it was against the law. Then he moved to the Bowery, this tough neighbourhood in New York, when he was 71. The song has exactly the same chords as 'If You Love Somebody Set Them Free' If you find a good chord structure you should use it at least once or twice. I tried to capture the multicultural elements of the music in New York. You hear jazz on one block and rock on the next, then someone comes round the corner with hip-hop blaring out of their car. That's why those hip-hop drums burst in for a few bars. The record company tried to talk me out of that; but I said, "No; that's what it's about." I think Quentin rather likes the song. He calls me Mr Sting.
Well... listening to the lyrichs, you might say it's a gay song ("See me walking down Fifth Avenue/A walking cane here at my side/I take it everywhere I walk/I'm an Englishman in New York." - Hmm; "It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile/Be yourself no matter what they say" - again, Hmm...), but such an interpretation is as wacky as MY interpretation of "Mad about you" (stupid stupid stupid). It MAY be about that, but in a larger field. It's a song about being an "alien", just as Sting himself put it. About belonging, but not quite. If you watch the video closly, you'll see a sort of body language Sting is posting: crossed legs standing up, making a crooked cross if you will. That sign means "amongst stragers", if you study that part of psichology that deals with subliminal messages through the position of the body. So it's about being amongst strangers, not knowing anybody, not having friends around, etc.
Sorry for the long coment.
great song, especially the jazz part!
I get a lot of inspiration from this song as it is saying be yourself no matter what anyone thinks about you, and no matter how different you are to everyone around you, you should be proud to be your own person.
I don't really get the part that goes
Modesty, propriety can lead to notoriety You could end up as the only one Gentleness, sobriety are rare in this society At night a candle's brighter than the sun
Is he telling us NOT to be modest and proper? Or is he telling us to "ignore people who think you're notorious because you're modest and proper, and it doesn't matter if you end up alone as a consequence"?
As for the candle, is it useful only at night? What is the message in this statement? It almost sounds like it has the opposite spirit compared to the rest of the song, namely that you should only display your personality (candle) privately (at night). Am I totally getting this wrong?
@ doesnot compute
@ doesnot compute
The lines "Modesty, propriety .......brighter than the sun" refer to the lack of politeness and chivalry that one associates with English mannerisms. So modesty, propriety could single him out and make him notorious, although these are things one should try and attain, since these "proper" mannerism are rare in the New York culture. The last line alludes to the fact that while during day time, we don't particularly notice sunlight because it's everywhere, at night, a candle also grabs our attention. So, the while modesty, propriety, gentleness, sobriety are visible everywhere like sunlight in England , in New...
The lines "Modesty, propriety .......brighter than the sun" refer to the lack of politeness and chivalry that one associates with English mannerisms. So modesty, propriety could single him out and make him notorious, although these are things one should try and attain, since these "proper" mannerism are rare in the New York culture. The last line alludes to the fact that while during day time, we don't particularly notice sunlight because it's everywhere, at night, a candle also grabs our attention. So, the while modesty, propriety, gentleness, sobriety are visible everywhere like sunlight in England , in New York, one man with these qualities stand out like a candle at night.
hope that helped
Much better. Thanks!
Much better. Thanks!
Nice :)
this is a great song...amazing
Great song... what else is there to say.
Great song, I was thinking to do what tps12 for a while I think I'll do it today heh.
The rock combined with some jazz makes this a great song.