The Sidewalks of New York
SIDEWALKS OF NEW YORK LYRICS:
VERSE 1
Down in front of Casey's
old brown wooden stoop
On a summer’s evening
We formed a merry group
Boys and girls together
We would sing and waltz
While Tony played the organ
On the sidewalks of New York
CHORUS
East side west side
All around the town
The tots sang ring around Rosie
London bridge is falling down
Boys and girls together
Me and Mamie O’Rourke
Tripped the light fantastic
On the sidewalks of New York
VERSE 2
That’s where Johnny Casey
And little Jimmy Crowe
With Jakey Kraus the Baker
Who always had the dough
Pretty Nellie Shannon
With a dude as light as cork
First picked up the waltz step
On the sidewalks of New York
CHORUS
VERSE 3
Things have changed since those times
Some are up in “G”
Others they are on the hog
But they all feel just like me
They would part with all they’ve got
Could they but once more walk
With their best girl
And have a twirl
On the sidewalks of New York
CHORUS
WRITTEN 1894 by Charles Lawlor and James Blake
Music is the most staying of the substances which roots us to the past. Nowhere is the stickiness of place more apparent than in the story of “The Sidewalks of New York”, which I covered in issue 1 of Mail Club Práta. For chords and even more information about this song, please subscribe to Mail Club Práta and/or purchase copy of the physical zine.
LINKS FROM THE ZINE:
Sidewalks of New York Documentary Film:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99Q8TFLf60k
Sheet Music:
https://levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu/collection/143/165
"On The Pig's Back" Blog:
Flanagan Brothers Recording:
https://on.soundcloud.com/OdmUC0jVwgL8wsZzMH
1894 Map, see blog for even more maps:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/Viele_Map_1865.jpg
FOR EVEN MORE INFO, SEE MY VERY IN DEPTH SIDEWALKS OF NEW YORK ADJACENT BLOG POST:
