Empire State Of Mind

Artists: Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys
Song Title: Empire State Of Mind





[JAY-Z]
Yeah
Yeah I'm out that Brooklyn, now I'm down in Tribeca
Right next to Deniro, but I'll be hood forever
I'm the new Sinatra, and since I made it here
I can make it anywhere, yeah, they love me everywhere
I used to cop in Harlem, all of my Dominicano's
Right there up on Broadway, pull me back to that McDonald's
Took it to my stashbox, 560 State Street
Catch me in the kitchen like a Simmons with them pastries
Cruisin' down 8th Street, off white Lexus
Drivin' so slow, but BK is from Texas
Me, I'm out that Bed-Stuy, home of that boy Biggie
Now I live on billboard and I brought my boys with me
Say whatup to Ty-Ty, still sippin' mai tai's
Sittin' courtside, Knicks & Nets give me high five
Nigga I be spike'd out, I could trip a referee
Tell by my attitude that I'm most definitely from...

[ALICIA KEYS]
New York
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do
Now you're in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you
Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York

[JAY-Z]
Catch me at the X with OG at a Yankee game
Shit, I made the Yankee hat more famous then a Yankee can
You should know I bleed blue, but I ain't a Crip though
But I got a gang of Niggas walkin' with my clique though
Welcome to the melting pot, corners where we sellin' rock
Africa Bambata shit, home of the hip-hop
Yellow cab, gypsy cab, dollar cab, holla back
For foreigners it ain't for they act like they forgot how to act
Eight million stories, out there in it naked
City is a pity, half of y'all won't make it
Me, I got a plug, Special Ed "I Got It Made"
If Jesus payin' Lebron, I'm payin' Dwayne Wade
Three dice cee-lo, three card molly
Labour Day Parade, rest in peace Bob Marley
Statue of Liberty, long live the World Trade
Long live the Kingdome, I'm from the Empire St. that's...

[ALICIA KEYS]
New York
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do
Now you're in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you
Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York

[JAY-Z]
Lights is blinding, girls need blinders
So they can step out of bounds quick
The sidelines is lined with casualties who sip to life casually
Then gradually become worse, don't bite the apple leaf
Caught up in the in-crowd, now you're in style
End of the winter gets cold, en vogue with your skin out
City of sin, it's a pity on the wind
Good girls gone bad, the city's filled with them
Mommy took a bus trip, now she got her bust out
Everybody ride her, just like a bus route
Hail Mary to the city, you're a virgin
And Jesus can't save you, life starts when the church end
Came here for school, graduated to the high life
Ball players, rap stars, addicted to the limelight
MDMA got you feelin' like a champion
The city never sleeps, better slip you an Ambien

[ALICIA KEYS]
New York
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do
Now you're in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you
Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York

[ALICIA KEYS]
One hand in the air for the big city
Street lights, big dreams, all lookin' pretty
No place in the world that could compare
Put your lighters in the air
Everybody say "Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah."

[ALICIA KEYS]
New York
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do
Now you're in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you
Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York

I miss feeling ALIVE.

That feeling like my lungs are just bursting with breath, my body's charged and ready for whatever comes my way, and my being just wants to explode from sheer expectancy. I want to know that greater things await me. And I want to look forward to that time and be prepared for it, whenever it comes.

Problem is,
I think I've stopped painting pretty pictures
in my head – pictures of things to come.

Don't know when it happened but it did.

Sigh.

I'm in need of a place that'll inspire me to start dreaming again. It's been awhile since I've indulged in thoughts of anything bigger than what could possibly be. So caught up with what has been, what is and what will certainly be that I've forgotten the beauty in looking toward the unknown and jumping without seeing ground.

-----------

"New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do, now you're in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you
Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York"

-----------

Maybe I should start making plans
to hit the Big Apple someday.

p/s: This song is way beyond addictive. It's got a good feel to it. I don't really care what Jay-Z sings (though I think the man's got crazy talent – hey, he didn't break the record for most number one albums by a solo artist on the Billboard 200 by doing nothing) but I especially love the Alicia Key parts in this song. Makes me wanna move.