New York City Serenade
New York City Serenade is the seventh and last song off
The Wild, the Innocent and the E-Street Shuffle, the second album from
Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band. It makes less coherent sense than the earlier songs. The first verse concerns "Billy" and "
Diamond Jackie," who are "gonna boogaloo down
Broadway and come back home with the loot." The second verse is about a "
fish lady" who "baits them tenement walls" and "won't take corner boys" because they "ain't got no
money." The singer invites her come with him "down Broadway" and "shake away your street life/shake away your
city life," and "hook up to the
train;" she, however, "won't take the train" because "she's afraid them tracks are gonna slow her down/and when she turns, this boy'll be gone." The third verse is a plea directed towards the "
jazz man" who is asked to "play me your serenade" and advised to "save your notes, don't spend 'em on the
blues boy/Save your notes, don't spend 'em on the darlin' yearlin' sharp boy."
First Line
"Billy he's down by the railroad tracks"
External links