From the musical “Miss Liberty”, 1949
Words and music by Irving Berlin
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
Citizens of New York, I greet you
With a hundred thousand dollar check
The money that my readers have contributed
For the pedestal of the statue
A Statue that you will love as much as I
And worthy of the pennies that you spent
A Statue that you will think of when you buy
The paper that I proudly represent
Citizens of New York, I greet you
With the news that soon our flag will be unfurled
On the most expensive statue in the world
On the most expensive statue in the world
When it’s finally installed
When it’s finally installed
Tell us, what will it be called
Tell us, what will it be called
When we finally install it
What’s the diff’rence what we call it?
It’s the best that money can buy
And will stand three hundred feet high
And I understand before we’re through
The cost may not be known
A hundred thousand dollars for the pedestal alone
And our flag will soon be unfurled
On the most expensive statue in the world
On the most expensive statue in the world
When it finally is claimed
Tell us, what will it be named?
When it finally is claimed
Tell us, what will it be named?
When at last we come to claim it
What’s the diff’rence what we name it?
What’s important is the expense
What it means in dollars and cents
From the French across the ocean
It was sent to me and you
And now I’d like to call upon
And hear a word or two
From our friend, the French ambassador
Your honor, I speak not for my government
But my people
For it is not my government
But the people who give this statue
Creation of the genius of Bartholdi
May it arise in your harbor
And give the light of Liberty
Equality, Fraternity
May it arise in your harbor
And give the light of Liberty
Equality, Fraternity
When it’s finally installed
When it’s finally installed
Tell us what will it be called
Tell us what will it be called
When we finally install it
What’s the difference what we call it
It’s the most expensive statue in the world
It’s the most expensive statue in the world
Sung here by Laurence Rubenstein: