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Description
Written & performed by Stephen Robb
Written in Christmas 1999, during a Leeds University art college trip to New York. It all follows pretty much what happened; arriving in the pouring rain, subway trip to Chinatown, the nerve wracking Russian roulette of crossing a Manhattan street, yellow cab rides, visiting John Lennon’s Strawberry Fields section of Central Park opposite the Dakota building and the “imagine” tiles on the pavement, etc.
“Robbie, Nat and Kate” are the singer Robbie Williams, who I bumped into in M.O.M.A, and Natalie Hogg & Kate Clarke, two fellow student friends. I wanted an “Angel of Harlem” feel from the start and am happy with the chance Garageband gave me to get close to that with the horn section and choir for the chorus to evoke that Harlem gospel feel. I never did get to take a trip to Harlem as no-one would go with me. My good friend Tommy Evans did (bravely) approach a street corner group of hip-hoppers, rhyming out lines and joined in. For a ginger curly haired white guy from Leeds, he had a lot of nerve but has the ability to hold his own. I wish I had his integrity. Also noted in the lyrics are the tensions that ran like an undercurrent through the trip with arguments and falling-outs of good friends. All long forgotten now (it didn’t involve me directly, but we all felt it). Against the backdrop of the big apple, we all did “forget who’s to blame” which was as it should be at Christmastime.
During the writing, I asked a few friends to submit song lines to help me along. Sam Shearon kindly offered “awake, the world is real” as we wandered past the Trump tower on our way downtown from our Central Park YMCA hostel and the beautiful pixie-like Kate Clarke, awed and big eyed at our surroundings, suggested “Just like in the movies”, which I later changed to “just like we’ve seen, on the cover of a magazine” although my original 4 track demos still have Kate’s line. My thanks to them both.
Written in Christmas 1999, during a Leeds University art college trip to New York. It all follows pretty much what happened; arriving in the pouring rain, subway trip to Chinatown, the nerve wracking Russian roulette of crossing a Manhattan street, yellow cab rides, visiting John Lennon’s Strawberry Fields section of Central Park opposite the Dakota building and the “imagine” tiles on the pavement, etc.
“Robbie, Nat and Kate” are the singer Robbie Williams, who I bumped into in M.O.M.A, and Natalie Hogg & Kate Clarke, two fellow student friends. I wanted an “Angel of Harlem” feel from the start and am happy with the chance Garageband gave me to get close to that with the horn section and choir for the chorus to evoke that Harlem gospel feel. I never did get to take a trip to Harlem as no-one would go with me. My good friend Tommy Evans did (bravely) approach a street corner group of hip-hoppers, rhyming out lines and joined in. For a ginger curly haired white guy from Leeds, he had a lot of nerve but has the ability to hold his own. I wish I had his integrity. Also noted in the lyrics are the tensions that ran like an undercurrent through the trip with arguments and falling-outs of good friends. All long forgotten now (it didn’t involve me directly, but we all felt it). Against the backdrop of the big apple, we all did “forget who’s to blame” which was as it should be at Christmastime.
During the writing, I asked a few friends to submit song lines to help me along. Sam Shearon kindly offered “awake, the world is real” as we wandered past the Trump tower on our way downtown from our Central Park YMCA hostel and the beautiful pixie-like Kate Clarke, awed and big eyed at our surroundings, suggested “Just like in the movies”, which I later changed to “just like we’ve seen, on the cover of a magazine” although my original 4 track demos still have Kate’s line. My thanks to them both.
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Lyrics
Well it looks like we made it, Times Square in the rain
It's pouring down in Chinatown then catch the subway train
In New York City
Walking close together as we swap a trusting glance
With a neon glow and need-to-know and take a sidewalk chance
In New York City
In New York City, Trawling through the avenues
In New York City, Just like we've seen .... on the cover of a magazine
They've got suburban dreams and Limousines,
Manhattan island subway screams
Eyes wide open in yellow cabs, trying to relate
The angel's up in Harlem, watching Robbie, Nat and Kate
In New York City
In New York City, forgetting who's to blame
In New York City, the pleasure and the pain
They've got suburban dreams and limousines
Manhattan island subway screams
Dreaming loud and minds ablaze, awake the world is real
With a ghetto drive and hip-hop vibe, imagine Strawberry Fields
In New York City
In New York City and it's distant winter sun
In New York City, we're dreaming while we can.
It's pouring down in Chinatown then catch the subway train
In New York City
Walking close together as we swap a trusting glance
With a neon glow and need-to-know and take a sidewalk chance
In New York City
In New York City, Trawling through the avenues
In New York City, Just like we've seen .... on the cover of a magazine
They've got suburban dreams and Limousines,
Manhattan island subway screams
Eyes wide open in yellow cabs, trying to relate
The angel's up in Harlem, watching Robbie, Nat and Kate
In New York City
In New York City, forgetting who's to blame
In New York City, the pleasure and the pain
They've got suburban dreams and limousines
Manhattan island subway screams
Dreaming loud and minds ablaze, awake the world is real
With a ghetto drive and hip-hop vibe, imagine Strawberry Fields
In New York City
In New York City and it's distant winter sun
In New York City, we're dreaming while we can.
maxruehl
I get the Angel Of Harlem vibe from this. Actually, I get a Smokey Robinson feel from it, also--which may be partly where U2 got it from, too (the Motown thing).:)Nice introduction to your music. Welcome to MacJams.:)