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Streets of New York (Live) Lyrics by Ryan McMullan

Live EP

2019

[Verse 1]
I was eighteen years old when I went down to Dublin
With a fistfull of money and a cartload of dreams
"Take your time", said me father
"Stop rushing like hell
And remember all is not
What it seems to be"
"For there's fellas who'd cut ye
For the coat on yer back
Or the watch that ye got
From yer mother
So take care me young buck-o
And mind yourself well
And will ye give this wee note
To my brother"
[Verse 2]
At the time Uncle Benjy
Was a policeman in Brooklyn
And my father the youngest
Looked after the farm
When a phone call from America
Said 'Send the lad over'
Well the old fella said
'It wouldn't do any harm'
For I spent me life working
This dirty old ground
For a few pints of porter
And the smell of a pound
And sure maybe there's something
You'll learn or you'll see
If you can bring it back home
Make it easy on me
[Verse 3]
So I landed at Kennedy
And a big yellow taxi
Carried me and me bags
Through the streets and the rain
Well my poor heart was thumpin'
Around with excitement
And I hardly even heard
What the driver was saying
We pulled in the Shore Parkway
To the Flatlands of Brooklyn
To my Uncles apartment
On East 53rd
I was feeling so happy
I was humming a song
And I sang
You're as free as a bird'
[Verse 4]
Well to shorten the story
What I found out that day
Was that Benjy got shot down
In an uptown foray
And while I was flying
My way to New York
Poor old Benjy was lying in a cold city morgue
Well I phoned up the old fella and I told him the news
I could tell he could hardly stand up in his shoes
And he wept as he told me
"Go ahead with the plan
And you're not to forget to be a proud Irishman"
[Verse 5]
So I went up to Nellies
Beside Fordham Road
And I started to learn
About lifting the load
But the heaviest thing
I carried that year
Was the bittersweet thoughts
Of my hometown so dear
[Verse 6]
I went home that December
'Cause the old fella died
Had to borrow some money
Of Phil on the side
Oh and all the bright flowers
And brass couldn't hide
The poor wasted face
Of my father
[Verse 7]
We sold up the old farmyard
For what it was worth
And into me bag
Stuck a handful of earth
And I boarded a train
And I caught me a plane
And I found myself back
In the US again
[Verse 8: Sung by crowd]
It's been twenty two years
Since I set foot in Dublin
My kids know to use
The correct knife and fork
But I never will forget
The green grass and the rivers
As I keep law and order
On the streets of New York
Credits
Ryan McMullan

Ryan McMullan

About “Streets of New York (Live)” by Ryan McMullan

Read the complete lyrics to "Streets of New York (Live)" by Ryan McMullan from the album "Live EP" in 2019. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Pop, Ireland, Irish Folk.

"Streets of New York (Live)" is performed by Ryan McMullan. from the album "Live EP" in 2019 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Streets of New York (Live)", explore more songs by Ryan McMullan using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Streets of New York (Live)" is credited to Ryan McMullan. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Streets of New York (Live)" appears on "Live EP" in 2019.

Visit the Ryan McMullan artist page at /artist/ryan-mcmullan for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.