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A Song for New York
By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 25, 2005
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 25, 2005
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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From the musical stylings of the composer who brought us Dracula and Jekyll & Hyde, New York City now has a theme song. The city's tourism arm, NYC & Company, commissioned Frank Wildhorn to write a song about how wonderful New York City is, and now we have "New York: For the Time of Your Life." The NY Post says the song is a "splashy, big-band-style number belted out in a brassy, Sinatra-esque voice," and the song is supposed to be sung at a presentation to European tour operators and to promote various parts of New York City that are lesser promoted, like Shea Stadium and the Bronx Zoo.
Former Mayor Ed Koch named the Kander-and-Ebb standard, New York, New York (written for the Martin Scorsese film, New York, New York), the city's theme song in 1985. [And color Gothamist jaded, but we know "The Time of My Life" and it's the anthem to Dirty Dancing!] Gothamist loves the Kander and Ebb version and also the Comden and Green song, New York, New York from On the Town.
The Post's music critic, Issac Guzman, is horrified by the song, calling it "schlocky, "derivative, cliched and hokey beyond belief, it's an embarrassment," "gimmicky, brain-numbing," and reminds people the Wildhorn was called "the Kmart Andrew Lloyd Webber." Oh, and that "even Tony Bennett could rescue this from the slag heap of mediocrity." Damn! After the jump are the lyrics... brace yourself and let us know what you think. We haven't heard it with the music, but we're not sure if we even want to.
Musical salute
It's a great front row seat for the world at your feet
It's the Yankees and Knicks, the Rockettes doin' kicks.
You can sail Sheepshead Bay, see a show on Broadway.
It's Fifth Avenue, plenty to see and do. ...
Bridge:
New York, New York ...
Winter, spring, summer, fall
Baby we've got it all!
Chorus:
New York, anytime of year
New York, it's all happening here
New York, for the time of your life!
You can shop 'til you drop, live your life to the top.
Double header at Shea, somethin' new every day.
It's the lights in Times Square, the moments you share.
Summer breaks. Paint the town - paint it up, paint it down.
Bridge
Chorus
Take the ferry to Staten from lower Manhattan. It's a bagel and schmear, it's a whole other gear.
It's a hot dog from Coney, a waiter named Tony. Yellow cabs, limousines. It's the subway to Queens. It's so nice, see it twice, paradise by the slice,
Brooklyn Heights, The Bronx Zoo, somethin' old, somethin' new
I love New York, baby ... come paint the town (spoken).
Chorus
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Music
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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