Englishman in New York Lyrics
I don't drink coffee, I'll take tea my dear
I like my toast done on one side
And you can hear it in my accent when I talk
I'm an Englishman in New York
[Verse 2]
See me walking down Fifth Avenue
A walking cane here at my side
I take it everywhere I walk
I'm an Englishman in New York
[Chorus]
Whoa
I'm an alien, I'm a legal alien
I'm an Englishman in New York
Whoa
I'm an alien, I'm a legal alien
I'm an Englishman in New York
[Verse 3]
If "manners maketh man" as someone said
Then he's the hero of the day
It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile
Be yourself, no matter what they say
Whoa
I'm an alien, I'm a legal alien
I'm an Englishman in New York
Whoa
I'm an alien, I'm a legal alien
I'm an Englishman in New York
[Bridge]
Modesty, propriety, can lead to notoriety
You could end up as the only one
Gentleness, sobriety are rare in this society
At night a candle's brighter than the sun
[Saxophone solo followed by drums]
[Verse 4]
Takes more than combat gear to make a man
Takes more than a license for a gun
Confront your enemies, avoid them when you can
A gentleman will walk but never run
[Verse 3]
If "manners maketh man" as someone said
Then he's the hero of the day
It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile
Be yourself, no matter what they say
Be yourself, no matter what they say
Be yourself, no matter what they say
Whoa
(Be yourself, no matter what they say)
I'm an alien, I'm a legal alien
I'm an Englishman in New York
Whoa
(Be yourself, no matter what they say)
I'm an alien, I'm a legal alien
I'm an Englishman in New York
[Outro]
Whoa
I'm an alien, I'm a legal alien
(Be yourself, no matter what they say)
Whoa
I'm an Englishman in New York
Whoa
I'm an alien, I'm a legal alien
(Be yourself, no matter what they say)
I'm an Englishman in New York
About
“Englishman in New York” was released as a single in 1988. The song’s main subject was Quentin Crisp, a British writer. Sting said this about the song in the liner notes for Nothing Like the Sun:
I wrote “Englishman in New York for a friend of mine who moved from London to New York in his early seventies to a small rented apartment in the Bowery at a time in his life when most people have settled down forever. He once told me over dinner that he looked forward to receiving his naturalization papers so that he could commit a crime and not be deported. "What kind of crime?” I asked anxiously. “Oh, something glamorous, non-violent, with a dash of style” he replied. “Crime is so rarely glamorous these days.”
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
Yes! On November 25, 2021, Sting interpreted the song in live at Le Grand Studio RTL.
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