| As I roved out one May morning
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| On down by old Times Square
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| I met a sportin' lady
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| Sweet Nancy was her name
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| She said «Me dearest darlin'
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| You’re so young and you smell so sweet
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| But you’ll age 10 years in 20 days down on 42nd Street»
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| She took me upstairs to a room
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| With cobwebs on the wall
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| She said «Lay down, me darlin'
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| You and I gonna have a ball»
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| And as she kissed me virgin tears away
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| She sang in her sweet voice
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| Fare thee well my 42nd street
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| Good-bye my forty-deuce
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| In the years to come I had occasion
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| To remember sweet Nancy’s song
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| For I fell in with bad company
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| I lived me life all wrong
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| I did everything forbidden
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| By bible, book and creed
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| 'Til I’d no more virgin tears to shed
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| Down on 42nd Street
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| I fell in with two blaggards
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| Spider Murphy and Jem Black
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| We terrorized Hell’s Kitchen
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| We robbed both white and black
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| We never gave a damn about
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| The Narcos or the Vice
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| For the days were short and the nights were long
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| Down on dear old forty-deuce
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| One night on 7th Avenue
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| I was accosted by the law
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| They said «We've got your number, lad
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| You’re time is gettin' short
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| Take our advice, me bucko
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| Kick the dust up with your heels
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| And leave your false companions
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| Down on 42nd Street»
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| But I was young and stupid
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| And loyal to a fault
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| I had a package in me shirt
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| To deliver to Jem Black
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| When I handed him his contraband
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| I was pounced on by 2 narcs
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| Spider Murphy had betrayed me
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| Farewell my forty-deuce
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| I spent 10 years in Sing Sing
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| Goin' slowly up the walls
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| With revenge the only motive
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| That kept me alive at all
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| I came out of there a different man
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| Cruel, vicious, but discreet
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| Bought a gun and went back home
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| Down to 42nd Street
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| I followed Spider Murphy
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| Into a church down by Times Square
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| I blew him to sweet Jesus
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| While he was kneelin' at his prayers
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| If you’re ever lookin' for Jem Black
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| Don’t bother tryin' home
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| Coz he’s 40 feet down under
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| The Hudson’s ragin' foam
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| So, fare thee well, sweet Nancy
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| Give back me virgin tears
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| I’m goin' back to Sing Sing
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| For five and fifty years
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| Please hold me like the first time
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| Sing in your sweet voice
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| Fare thee well my 42nd Street
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| Goodbye my forty-deuce |