From “Manhattan Tower”, 1946
Words and music by Gordon Jenkins
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
Listen all you New Yorkers
There’s a rumor goin’ ’round
That some of you good people
Wanna leave this town
But you’d better consult with me
Before you go, (yeah?)
‘Cause I’ve been to all those places and I know
(Chicago?)
Well Chicago’s alright,
It’s got Marshall Field and Soldiers Field
And it’s on a nice lake,
But it hasn’t got the hansoms in the park,
It hasn’t got the skyline after dark,
That’s why New York’s my home
Let me never leave it
New York’s my home sweet home
(San Francisco?)
San Francisco is a lovely place,
It’s got lots of hills and lots of thrills
And it’s near an ocean of some size
But it hasn’t got The Bowery or The Bronx
It hasn’t got the Harlem honkytonks,
That’s why New York’s my home
It’s my favorite city
New York’s my home sweet home
(St Louis?)
Lots of people like St Louis,
It’s got lots of shoes and The St Louis Blues
And one of our larger rivers runs by,
But it hasn’t got the opera in the “Met”
It hasn’t got a famous string quartet,
That’s why New York’s my home
Not a place to visit
New York’s my home sweet home
(Hollywood?)
Hollywood’s got movie stars and movie czars
And cocktail bars and shiny cars
And a wonderful climate, they say
But it hasn’t got the handy subway trains
You seldom find a taxi when it rains,
That’s why New York’s my home
Take your California
New York’s my home sweet home
So, save your time and trouble
Save your railroad fare
Save your time and trouble
Save your railroad fare
‘Cause when you leave New York
You don’t go anywhere
Sung here by Laurence Rubenstein: