Forty-deuce

As i roved out one may morning on down by old times square

I met a sportin' lady, sweet nancy was her name

She said "me dearest darlin', you're so young and you smell so sweet

But you'll age 10 years in 20 days down on 42nd street"

She took me upstairs to a room with cobwebs on the wall

She said "lay down, me darlin', you and i are gonna have a ball"

And as she kissed me virgin tears away, she sang in her sweet voice

Fare thee well my 42nd street, good-bye my forty-deuce

In the years to come i had occasion to remember sweet nancy's song

For i fell in with bad company, i lived me life all wrong

I did everything forbidden by bible, book and creed

'til i'd no more virgin tears to shed down on 42nd street

I fell in with two blaggards, spider murphy and jem black

And we terrorized hells kitchen, we robbed both white and black

We never gave a damn about the narcos or the vice

For the days were short and the nights were long down on dear old forty-deuce

One night on 7th avenue i was accosted by the law

They said we've got your number, lad, you're time is gettin' short

Take our advice, me bucko, kick the dust up with your heels

And leave your false companions down on 42nd street

But i was young and stupid and loyal to a fault

I had a package in me shirt to deliver to jem black

When i handed him his contraband i was pounced on by 2 narcs

Spider murphy had betrayed me, farewell my forty-deuce

I spent 10 years in sing sing goin' slowly up the walls

With revenge the only motive that kept me alive at all

I came out of there a different man, cruel, vicious but discreet

Bought a gun and went back home, down to 42nd street

I followed spider murphy into a church down by times square

I blew him to sweet jesus while he was kneelin' at his prayers

If you're ever lookin' for jem black, don't bother tryin' home

'cause he's 40 feet down under the hudson's ragin' foam

So, fare thee well, sweet nancy, give back me virgin tears

I'm goin' back to sing sing for five and fifty years

Please hold me like the first time and sing in your sweet voice

Fare thee well my 42nd street, goodbye my forty-deuce