[Verse] New York City, where the dreams get chased, But the streets eat the weak, yeah, you better know your place, The Big Apple, and she's rotten to the core, She'll show you the lights, then she'll slam every door, Concrete jungle, every block's a war zone, Where the hustle’s in the blood, yeah, it’s cutthroat and cold, She got skyscrapers rising, but the alleys stay low, Got ambition in your heart? Better be ready to go, She got a million stories, most don't get told, Where the young die young and the old grow cold, She’ll promise you the world, then she'll leave you with none, Better come correct, son, or get played like a drum, [Chorus] New York, New York, she's a queen on a throne, But her crown’s full of thorns and she chills to the bone, The Big Apple, and she's rotten to the core, She'll lift you to the sky, then drop you to the floor, New York, New York, ain't no love in the streets, She’s the beauty and the beast, where the strong gotta eat, The Big Apple, yeah, she's rotten to the core, She'll whisper in your ear, but she’ll never keep score. ]Verse 2] Bright lights, dark nights, in the city that don’t sleep, Every block got a hustle, every corner got a creep, The rich ride high while the poor scrape low, She'll take your last dollar just to watch you fold, She's a diva in disguise, she’s a siren in the night, Got you dreaming of the top, but she’s playing with your life, She got Wall Street wolves and the hustlers uptown, You’re either up in the stars or you’re six feet down, She don’t care where you’re from or the weight of your name, You either carve out your path or get lost in the game, She got no pity for the weak, no mercy for the broke, Either learn to breathe fire or get lost in the smoke, [Chorus] New York, New York, she's a queen on a throne, But her crown’s full of thorns and she chills to the bone, The Big Apple, and she's rotten to the core, She'll lift you to the sky, then drop you to the floor, New York, New York, ain't no love in the streets, She’s the beauty and the beast, where the strong gotta eat, The Big Apple, yeah, she's rotten to the core, She'll whisper in your ear, but she’ll never keep score. [Bridge] Yeah, she’ll test your soul, she’ll test your might, You could shine like the sun or get lost in the night, You could rise to the top or get lost in the noise, It’s a gamble every day, better know your voice, She’ll give you everything, then take it all back, She’ll put you on the map or she’ll lead you off track, Love her or hate her, but one thing’s for sure, New York’s the Big Apple, but she's rotten to the core. [Outro] New York, New York, where the legends are born, But for every one crowned, there’s a thousand torn, She’ll make you or break you, there’s no middle ground, She’s the Big Apple, the toughest city around.
