This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Yeah
Yeah, I'm out that Brooklyn, now I'm down in Tribeca
Right next to De Niro, but I'll be hood forever
I'm the new Sinatra, and since I made it here
I can make it anywhere, yeah, they love me everywhere
I used to cop in Harlem, hola, my Dominicanos (dímelo)
Right there up on Broadway, brought me back to that McDonald's
Took it to my stashbox, 560 State Street
Catch me in the kitchen like a Simmons whippin' pastry
Cruisin' down 8th St, off-white Lexus
Drivin' so slow, but BK is from Texas
Me, I'm out that Bed-Stuy, home of that boy Biggie
Now I live on Billboard and I brought my boys with me
Say what up to Ty-Ty, still sippin' Mai Tais
Sittin' courtside, Knicks and Nets give me high five
Nigga, I be Spike'd out, I could trip a referee (come on, come on, come on)
Tell by my attitude that I'm most definitely from
In New York (ayy, ah-ha) (uh, yeah)
Concrete jungle (yeah) where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do (yeah) (okay)
Now you're in New York (ah-ha, ah-ha, ah-ha) (uh, yeah)
These streets will make you feel brand new (new)
Big lights will inspire you (come on) (okay)
Let's hear it for New York (you're welcome, OG) (uh)
New York (yeah), New York (uh) (I made you hot, nigga)
Catch me at the X with OG at a Yankee game
Shit, I made the Yankee hat more famous than a Yankee can
You should know I bleed blue, but I ain't a Crip though
But I got a gang of niggas walkin' with my clique though
Welcome to the melting pot, corners where we sellin' rock
Afrika Bambataa shit, home of the hip-hop
Yellow cab, gypsy cab, dollar cab, holla back
For foreigners it ain't fair, they act like they forgot how to act
Eight million stories, out there in the naked
City is a pity, half of y'all won't make it
Me, I got a plug, Special Ed, "I Got It Made"
If Jeezy's payin' Lebron, I'm payin' Dwyane Wade
Three dice Cee-lo, three-card Monte
Labor Day Parade, rest in peace Bob Marley
Statue of Liberty, long live the World Trade (come on, come on, come on)
Long live the king, yo, I'm from the Empire State that's
In New York (ayy) (uh, yeah)
Concrete jungle (yeah) where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do (that boy good) (okay)
Now you're in New York (uh, yeah)
(Welcome to the bright lights, baby)
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you (okay)
Let's hear it for New York (uh)
New York (yeah), New York (uh)
Lights is blinding, girls need blinders
So they can step out of bounds quick, the sidelines is
Lined with casualties, who sip the life casually
Then gradually become worse, don't bite the apple, Eve
Caught up in the in-crowd, now you're in style
Into the winter gets cold, en vogue, with your skin out
City of sin, it's a pity on a whim
Good girls gone bad, the city's filled with them
Mommy took a bus trip, now she got her bust out
Everybody ride her, just like a bus route
"Hail Mary" to the city, you're a virgin
And Jesus can't save you, life starts when the church end
Came here for school, graduated to the high life
Ball players, rap stars, addicted to the limelight
MDMA got you feelin' like a champion (come on, come on, come on)
The city never sleeps, better slip you an Ambien
In New York (ayy, oh) (uh, yeah)
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do (okay)
Now you're in New York (uh, yeah)
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you (okay)
Let's hear it for New York (uh)
New York (yeah), New York (uh)
One hand in the air for the big city (uh)
Street lights, big dreams, all lookin' pretty (uh)
No place in the world that could compare (nah)
Put your lighters in the air everybody say
"Yeah, yeah" (come on, come on, come on)
"Yeah, yeah" (I'm from New York)
In New York (uh, yeah) (ohh)
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do (okay)
Now you're in New York (uh, yeah)
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you (okay)
Let's hear it for New York (uh)
New York (yeah), New York (uh)
Yeah, I'm out that Brooklyn, now I'm down in Tribeca
Right next to De Niro, but I'll be hood forever
I'm the new Sinatra, and since I made it here
I can make it anywhere, yeah, they love me everywhere
I used to cop in Harlem, hola, my Dominicanos (dímelo)
Right there up on Broadway, brought me back to that McDonald's
Took it to my stashbox, 560 State Street
Catch me in the kitchen like a Simmons whippin' pastry
Cruisin' down 8th St, off-white Lexus
Drivin' so slow, but BK is from Texas
Me, I'm out that Bed-Stuy, home of that boy Biggie
Now I live on Billboard and I brought my boys with me
Say what up to Ty-Ty, still sippin' Mai Tais
Sittin' courtside, Knicks and Nets give me high five
Nigga, I be Spike'd out, I could trip a referee (come on, come on, come on)
Tell by my attitude that I'm most definitely from
In New York (ayy, ah-ha) (uh, yeah)
Concrete jungle (yeah) where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do (yeah) (okay)
Now you're in New York (ah-ha, ah-ha, ah-ha) (uh, yeah)
These streets will make you feel brand new (new)
Big lights will inspire you (come on) (okay)
Let's hear it for New York (you're welcome, OG) (uh)
New York (yeah), New York (uh) (I made you hot, nigga)
Catch me at the X with OG at a Yankee game
Shit, I made the Yankee hat more famous than a Yankee can
You should know I bleed blue, but I ain't a Crip though
But I got a gang of niggas walkin' with my clique though
Welcome to the melting pot, corners where we sellin' rock
Afrika Bambataa shit, home of the hip-hop
Yellow cab, gypsy cab, dollar cab, holla back
For foreigners it ain't fair, they act like they forgot how to act
Eight million stories, out there in the naked
City is a pity, half of y'all won't make it
Me, I got a plug, Special Ed, "I Got It Made"
If Jeezy's payin' Lebron, I'm payin' Dwyane Wade
Three dice Cee-lo, three-card Monte
Labor Day Parade, rest in peace Bob Marley
Statue of Liberty, long live the World Trade (come on, come on, come on)
Long live the king, yo, I'm from the Empire State that's
In New York (ayy) (uh, yeah)
Concrete jungle (yeah) where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do (that boy good) (okay)
Now you're in New York (uh, yeah)
(Welcome to the bright lights, baby)
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you (okay)
Let's hear it for New York (uh)
New York (yeah), New York (uh)
Lights is blinding, girls need blinders
So they can step out of bounds quick, the sidelines is
Lined with casualties, who sip the life casually
Then gradually become worse, don't bite the apple, Eve
Caught up in the in-crowd, now you're in style
Into the winter gets cold, en vogue, with your skin out
City of sin, it's a pity on a whim
Good girls gone bad, the city's filled with them
Mommy took a bus trip, now she got her bust out
Everybody ride her, just like a bus route
"Hail Mary" to the city, you're a virgin
And Jesus can't save you, life starts when the church end
Came here for school, graduated to the high life
Ball players, rap stars, addicted to the limelight
MDMA got you feelin' like a champion (come on, come on, come on)
The city never sleeps, better slip you an Ambien
In New York (ayy, oh) (uh, yeah)
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do (okay)
Now you're in New York (uh, yeah)
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you (okay)
Let's hear it for New York (uh)
New York (yeah), New York (uh)
One hand in the air for the big city (uh)
Street lights, big dreams, all lookin' pretty (uh)
No place in the world that could compare (nah)
Put your lighters in the air everybody say
"Yeah, yeah" (come on, come on, come on)
"Yeah, yeah" (I'm from New York)
In New York (uh, yeah) (ohh)
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do (okay)
Now you're in New York (uh, yeah)
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you (okay)
Let's hear it for New York (uh)
New York (yeah), New York (uh)
Lyrics submitted by wreckedforthis
Empire State of Mind Lyrics as written by Alicia J Augello-cook Alexander William Shuckburgh
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song is amazing for the breadth of its appeal. Unlike other portraits of New York by myriads of hip hop artists through the decades, including Jay Z, this song isn't just for the tough guys living in poverty and resorting to crime in Bed Stuy, East New York, South Bronx, etc. It's also not just for those born and raised in New York, and it doesn't take an elitist stance against the hundreds of thousands of young, wide-eyed Americans looking to embrace an urban lifestyle and pursue their dreams. This song is for the natives, the transplants, the immigrants, the criminals, the good citizens, the poor, the middle class, the wealthy--everyone and anyone whose dreams have been made and fulfilled in this great city.
You hear this song played in the bars where young people gather to socialize. You hear it trickling from the boom box behind the counter at the corner deli, where you are served by a man or woman who left everything behind to make a new life in New York. You hear it coming out of the car windows of sixty-year-old men and women who, along with the rest of their family, have spent their entire lives in the city.
This song doesn't glorify the crime-ridden city of the 1970's (nor does it ignore the past). It is an all-encompassing, optimistic anthem for an ever-evolving city in the year 2009.
Listen to Alicia Keys vocal in the chorus versus Rihanna in 'Run This Town', there is no comparison - a classicly trained articulate professional versus someone who butchers the English language in every interview I've ever heard from her. Don't get me wrong, Alicia Keys lacks the "street cred" to bring that needed dynamic to 'Run This Town', something Rhianna is better suited for; but hearing someone is among the best at what she does bring it like Alicia does in 'Empire State of Mind' is incredible to hear! This track alone makes the album worth purchasing (plus the subject matter is spot on too - New York is where it's at!).
i have always said that rihanna is a talentless hack. Its embarassing that he has her on a song. But maybe he just wanted to promote her, he is her boss.
Whatever. Alicia keys sings like an overtrained frog.
LOL when did this website become christian talk hour? A bunch of crazies preaching about jesus. Either this is an organized troll or you people have nothing better to do
Every great Empire has it's end. New York is well-known to be the Babylon that will fall. Americas government, NYSE, UN ...everything designed to fall. Time to wake-up from the American dream world. You live in a scripted world.
This song is just an anthem for new york, just a song celebrating and honoring New York City, nothing more, nothing less.
You messed up some lines, not to mention took them from another website... Probably should get rid of the "lyrics courtesy of allhiphop.com"
The line in the chorus is: "Concrete jungle where dreams are made of"
this song is amazing..
i love the play on words with Anna Wintour's name in the line "and in the winter gets cold in vogue with your skin out" so geniussss
I love that part, too -- it's brilliant.
the line - long live the king yo, in thinking its a tribute to MJ, does anyone else think that?
makes sense didnt think about that
Yeah, it is. Good call.
Honestly, I think he's talking about himself here, since it's followed by "I'm from the Empire state," and a king rules his empire. Since MJ isn't from NY, it wouldn't make a lot of sense in this song.
There are still a lot of errors in these lyrics...
As someone else mentioned, the chorus should be: "Concrete jungle, where dreams are made of" NOT "I'm from where dreams are made of"
Also as someone else mentioned, the line is: "If Jeezy payin LeBron, I'm payin Dwayne Wade" NOT "If Jesus payin LeBron...."
Instead of "560 Stage Street", the line should be "560 State Street"
Instead of "still sipping Malta", the line should be "still sipping Mai Tais"
In the chorus, the line should read "Big lights will inspire you", not "the lights..."
Instead of "me i gotta plug a special and i got it made", it should be "me I gotta plug Special Ed I Got It Made"
Instead of "3 card marley", it should be "3 card Monte"
That's all I have...
Do you guys honestly thin he is saying "drinking maltas" in the 24th line? Have you ever heard of mai-tais?
I would love this song so much more if Jay-Z didn't have to sneak in lines about how sick he is. I'm pretty sure the Yankees made wearing the Yankees hat famous - it wasn't you, Jay-Z. Rest of the song is great though.
Because rappers never exaggerate about their importance? It's hyperbole.