I've seen the lights go out on Broadway
I saw the Empire State laid low
And life went on beyond the Palisades
They all bought Cadillacs and left there long ago
They held a concert out in Brooklyn
To watch the island bridges blow
They turned our power down
And drove us underground
But we went right on with the show
Oooh. Oh Oh Ooh
I've seen the lights go out on Broadway
I saw the ruins at my feet
You know we almost didn't notice it
We'd see it all the time on 42nd Street
They burned the churches up in Harlem
Like in that Spanish Civil War
The flames were everywhere
But no one really cared:
It always burned up there before
Ooh. Oh Oh Ooh
I've seen the lights go out on Broadway
I watched the mighty skyline fall
The boats were waiting at the Battery
The union went on strike:
They never sailed at all
They sent the carrier out from Norfolk
And picked the Yankees up for free
They said the Mets could play
For one more game at Shea
And sank Manhattan out at sea
You know those lights were bright on Broadway
But that was so many years ago:
Before we all lived here in Florida
Before the Mafia took over Mexico
There are not many who remember;
They say a handful still survive
To tell the world about
The way the lights went out
And keep the memory alive