He was just a child
Forty five years old
Who travelled alone
With his old grandmother
He was just a child
Forty five years old
Travelling alone
In his grandma's fold
His beautiful beard
So curly and black
Was a glory of his many relations
His beautiful beard
So curly and black
Was a glory of his whole family clack
One day he left on a big boat
Thinking he'd land on a Chinese coast
But after eight days
What surprise, everyone heard his cry
Grandmama it's New York
It's New York I can see so many buildings
Grandmama it's New York
I see all the boats in the port of New York
All the seagulls wave hello
In the sky I can see the pretty seagulls
All the seagulls wave hello
It's so wonderful that my heart fell a glow
Grandmama calm her boy
With a little chocolate toy
But the child feeling so good
Yelled as loud as he could
Grandmama it's New York
It's New York I can see so many buildings
Grandmama it's New York
I see all the boats in the port of New York
I see all the boats in the port of New York
As he was in the diplomatic corps
He was always on the most charming cruises
As he was in the diplomatic corps
He visited the foreign countries galore
He lived like this til he was ninety two
Always chaperoned by his old grandmother
He lived like this til he was ninety two
Always under his grandmother's view
The day of his death she was right there
(Pas folle la vieille)
Still giving him a chocolate éclair
But he, quite far gone on his way
Could only gently say
Grandmama it's New York
It's New York I can see so many buildings
Grandmama it's New York
I see all the boats in the port of New York
All the seagulls wave hello
In the sky I can see the pretty seagulls
All the seagulls wave hello
It's so wonderful that my heart's all aglow
When he got to the pearly gate
What did he see?
The Empire State
Angels reading the Daily News
Others singing Manhattan Blues
See my boy it's New York
It's New York you can see so many buildings
See my boy it's New York
Look, there, the good Lord in the port of New York
Look, there, the good Lord in the port of New York