The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
In New York freedom looks like
Too many choices
In New York I found a friend
To drown out the other voices
Voices on a cell phone
Voices from home
Voices of the hard sell
Voices down a stairwell
In New York
Just got a place in New York
In New York summers get hot
Well into the hundreds
You can't walk around the block
Without a change of clothing
Hot as a hair dryer in your face
Hot as a handbag and a can of mace
New York
I just got a place in New York
New York New York
In New York you can forget
Forget how to sit still
Tell yourself you will stay in
But it's down to Alphaville
New York
New York, New York
New York, New York
New York
The Irish been coming here for years
Feel like they own the place
They got the airport, city hall
Asphalt, asphalt
They even got the police
Irish, Italians, Jews and Hispanics
Religious nuts, political fanatics in the stew
Happily not like me and you
That's where I lost you
New York
New York, New York
New York
New York, New York
New York
New York
In New York I lost it all
To you and your vices
Still I'm staying on to figure out
Midlife crisis
I hit an iceberg in my life
You know I'm still afloat
You lose your balance, lose your wife
In the queue for the lifeboat
You got to put the women and children first
But you've got an unquenchable thirst for New York
New York
New York
New York, New York
In the stillness of the evening
When the sun has had its day
I heard your voice whispering
Come away now
New, New York
New
New York
Oh
New York
Too many choices
In New York I found a friend
To drown out the other voices
Voices on a cell phone
Voices from home
Voices of the hard sell
Voices down a stairwell
In New York
Just got a place in New York
In New York summers get hot
Well into the hundreds
You can't walk around the block
Without a change of clothing
Hot as a hair dryer in your face
Hot as a handbag and a can of mace
New York
I just got a place in New York
New York New York
In New York you can forget
Forget how to sit still
Tell yourself you will stay in
But it's down to Alphaville
New York
New York, New York
New York, New York
New York
The Irish been coming here for years
Feel like they own the place
They got the airport, city hall
Asphalt, asphalt
They even got the police
Irish, Italians, Jews and Hispanics
Religious nuts, political fanatics in the stew
Happily not like me and you
That's where I lost you
New York
New York, New York
New York
New York, New York
New York
New York
In New York I lost it all
To you and your vices
Still I'm staying on to figure out
Midlife crisis
I hit an iceberg in my life
You know I'm still afloat
You lose your balance, lose your wife
In the queue for the lifeboat
You got to put the women and children first
But you've got an unquenchable thirst for New York
New York
New York
New York, New York
In the stillness of the evening
When the sun has had its day
I heard your voice whispering
Come away now
New, New York
New
New York
Oh
New York
Lyrics submitted by yuri_sucupira
New York Lyrics as written by Dave Evans Adam Clayton
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Ooops. Was I sounding pushy or snobby in that last comment. Shoot, I did. I didn't mean to come off that way, but I obviously did. I'm sorry Boa.
No, I haven't talked to Bono, but I just can't see how this isn't an metaphor for life. Yes, it beautifully captures New York City, but it's deeper than that. I guess you can look at it however, but hey, for me: I'm not going to back down from my thesis. Sorry for rubbing your face in the dirt though....