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