Got to Get Out of New York

I was playin' the blues and drivin' my shoes
When I moved to New York
Well, I heard there was lots of music there
But I thought it was every sort
Well, the sound that I was gonna make
They would not approve of me
So I walked around Manhattan town
Just starin' at my feet

Well, I found some boys could make the noise
And I thought it might've made us rich
They said they wouldn't play this stuff
'Cause the two styles didn't mix
But in a lonely crowd, I went back downtown
And I pulled one to the bone
But on the way I saw behind every tree
Was someone with a saxophone

I was burnin' alive, I was takin' a dive
Got to get out of New York
Well, I was barely alive, no one was surprised
Got to get out of New York

So I learned there's two sides to everything
The Big Apple is no gift
There's be-bop armies 'gainst the forces of swing
But that all seemed kinda stiff
Seem like anyone unpack a guitar
Most anyone you meet
But they only wanted to play Night in Tunisia
Or Green Dolphin Street

So I worked at Slugs' to make a buck
Lower east side jazz hall of fame
And I heard the greats, but I was amazed
That the songs remained the same
So I left New York on a bad trip
And moved out to LA
So here's a shot from us to you
It's what we're gonna play

I was burnin' alive, I was takin' a dive
Got to get out of New York
And I was barely alive, no one was surprised
Got to get out of New York