Some Time in New York City

"Some Time in New York City" uses a newspaper as metaphor for delivering songs. Almost every song focuses on specific events or people in the news at the time. The album came with a second disc from a live performance of John and Yoko with Frank Zappa. It was released June 12, 1972 (US) and Sept.15, 1972 (UK).

Some Time in New York City cover Track Listing Disc 1
  1. Woman is the Nigger of the World
  2. Sisters, O Sisters
  3. Attica State
  4. Born in a Prison
  5. New York City
  6. Sunday Bloody Sunday
  7. The Luck of the Irish
  8. John Sinclair
  9. Angela
  10. We're All Water

Disc 2 (Live Jam) The album came with an extra disc from a live performance with Frank Zappa

lyrics for Disc 2 are not currently available

  1. Cold Turkey
  2. Don't Worry Kyoko
  3. Well
  4. Jamrag
  5. Scumbag
  6. Au

1 Lennon; 2 Ono; 3 Ward; 4,6 Lennon/Ono; 5 Lennon/Ono/Zappa


Woman is the Nigger of the World
John Lennon & Yoko Ono


Woman is the nigger of the world
Yes she is...think about it
Woman is the nigger of the world
Think about it...do something about it

We make her paint her face and dance
If she won't be a slave, we say that she don't love us
If she's real, we say she's trying to be a man
While putting her down, we pretend that she's above us

Woman is the nigger of the world...yes she is
If you don't believe me, take a look at the one you're with
Woman is the slave of the slaves
Ah, yeah...better scream about it

We make her bear and raise our children
And then we leave her flat for being a fat old mother hen
We tell her home is the only place she should be
Then we complain that she's too unworldly to be our friend

Woman is the nigger of the world...yes she is
If you don't believe me, take a look at the one you're with
Woman is the slave to the slaves
Yeah...alright...hit it!

We insult her every day on TV
And wonder why she has no guts or confidence
When she's young we kill her will to be free
While telling her not to be so smart we put her down for being so dumb

Woman is the nigger of the world
Yes she is...if you don't believe me, take a look at the one you're with
Woman is the slave to the slaves
Yes she is...if you believe me, you better scream about it

We make her paint her face and dance
We make her paint her face and dance
We make her paint her face and dance
We make her paint her face and dance
We make her paint her face and dance
We make her paint her face and dance





Sisters, O Sisters
Yoko Ono


We lost our green land
We lost our clean air
We lost our true wisdom
And we live in despair

Sisters, O sisters
Lets stand up right now
It's never too late
To start from the start

Wisdom, O wisdom
That's what we ask for
And yes, my dear sisters
We must learn to ask

Wisdom, O wisdom
That's what we ask for
That's what we live for now

Wisdom, O wisdom
That's what we ask for
That's what we live for now

Sisters, O sisters
Let's wake up right on
It's never too late
To shout from our hearts

Freedom, O freedom
That's what we fight for
And yes, my dear sisters
We must learn to fight

Freedom, O freedom
That's what we ask for
That's what we live for now

Freedom, O freedom
That's what we ask for
That's what we live for now

Sisters, O sisters
Let's give up no more
It's never too late
To build a new world

New world, O New world
That's what we live for
And yes, my dear sisters
We must learn to live

New world, O New world
That's what we live for
That's what we must now learn to build

New world, O New world
That's what we live for
That's what we must now learn to build

New world, O New world
That's what we live for
That's what we must now learn to build

New world, O New world
That's what we live for
That's what we must learn to build





Attica State
John Lennon & Yoko Ono


What a waste of human power
What a waste of human lives
Shoot the prisoners in the towers
Forty-three poor widowed wives

Attica State, Attica State, we're all mates with Attica State

Media blames it on the prisoners
But the prisoners did not kill
"Rockefeller pulled the trigger"
That is what the people feel

Attica State, Attica State, we're all mates with Attica State

Free the prisoners, jail the judges
Free all prisoners everywhere
All they want is truth and justice
All they need is love and care

Attica State, Attica State, we're all mates with Attica State

They all live in suffocation
Let's not watch them die in sorrow
Now's the time for revolution
Give them all a chance to grow

Attica State, Attica State, we're all mates with Attica State

Come together join the movement
Take a stand for human rights
Fear and hatred clouds our judgement
Free us all from endless night

Attica State, Attica State, we're all mates with Attica State

Attica State, Attica State, we all live in Attica State

Attica State, Attica State, Attica, Attica, Attica State





Born in a Prison
Yoko Ono


We're born in a prison
Raised in a prison
Sent to a prison called school

We cry in a prison
We love in a prison
We dream in a prison like fools

Wood becomes a flute when it's loved
Reach for yourself and your battered mates
Mirror becomes a razor when it's broken
Look in the mirror and see your shattered fate

We live with no reason
Kicked around for no reason
Thrown out without reason like tools

We work in a prison
And hate in a prison
And die in a prison as a rule

Wood becomes a flute when it's loved
Reach for yourself and your battered mates
Mirror becomes a razor when it's broken
Look in the mirror and see your shattered fate

We live in a prison
Among judges and wardens
And wait for no reason for you
We laugh in a prison
Go through all four seasons
And die with no vision of truth

Wood becomes a flute when it's loved
Reach for yourself and your battered mates
Mirror becomes a razor when it's broken
Look in the mirror and see your shattered fate





New York City
John Lennon


Standing on the corner
Just me and Yoko Ono
We was waiting for Jerry to land
Up come a man with a guitar in his hand
Singing, "Have a marijuana if you can"
His name was David Peel
And we found that he was real
He sang, "The Pope smokes dope every day"
Up come a policeman shoved us up the street
Singing, "Power to the people today!"

New York City...New York City...New York City
Que pasa, New York?
Que pasa, New York?

Well down to Max's Kansas City
Got down the nitty gritty
With the Elephants Memory Band
Laid something down
As the news spread around
About the Plastic Ono Elephants Memory Band!
And we played some funky boogie
And laid some tutti frutti
Singing, "Long Tall Sally's a man."
Up come a preacherman trying to be a teacher
Singing, "God's a red herring in drag!"

New York City...New York City...New York City
Que pasa, New York?
Que pasa, New York?

New York City...New York City...New York City
Que pasa, New York?
Que pasa, New York?

Well we did the Staten Island Ferry
Making movies for the telly
Played the Fillmore and Apollo for freedom
Tried to shake our image
Just a cycling through the Village
But found that we had left it back in London
Well nobody came to bug us
Hustle us or shove us
So we decided to make it our home
If the Man wants to shove us out
We gonna jump and shout
The Statue of Liberty said, "Come!"

New York City...New York City...New York City
Que pasa, New York?
Que pasa, New York?

New York City...back in New York City...New York City
Que pasa, New York?
Que pasa, New York?





Sunday Bloody Sunday
John Lennon & Yoko Ono


Well it was Sunday bloody Sunday
When they shot the people there
The cries of thirteen martyrs
Filled the Free Derry air
Is there any one amongst you
Dare to blame it on the kids?
Not a soldier boy was bleeding
When they nailed the coffin lids!

Sunday bloody Sunday
Bloody Sunday's the day!

You claim to be majority
Well you know that it's a lie
You're really a minority
On this sweet emerald isle
When Stormont bans our marches
They've got a lot to learn
Internment is no answer
It's those mothers' turn to burn!

Sunday bloody Sunday
Bloody Sunday's the day!

Sunday bloody Sunday
Bloody Sunday's the day!

You anglo pigs and scotties
Sent to colonize the North
You wave your bloody Union Jack
And you know what it's worth!
How dare you hold to ransom
A people proud and free
Keep Ireland for the Irish
Put the English back to sea!

Sunday bloody Sunday
Bloody Sunday's the day!

Well, it's always bloody Sunday
In the concentration camps
Keep Falls Road free forever
From the bloody English hands
Repatriate to Britain
All of you who call it home
Leave Ireland to the Irish
Not for London or for Rome!

Sunday bloody Sunday
Bloody Sunday's the day!

Sunday bloody Sunday
Bloody Sunday's the day!

Sunday bloody Sunday
Bloody Sunday's the day!

Sunday bloody Sunday
Bloody Sunday's the day!





The Luck of the Irish
John Lennon & Yoko Ono


If you had the luck of the Irish
You'd be sorry and wish you were dead
You should have the luck of the Irish
And you'd wish you was English instead!

A thousand years of torture and hunger
Drove the people away from their land
A land full of beauty and wonder
Was raped by the British brigands! Goddamn! Goddamn!

If you could keep voices like flowers
There'd be shamrock all over the world
If you could drink dreams like Irish streams
Then the world would be high as the mountain of morn

In the 'Pool they told us the story
How the English divided the land
Of the pain, the death and the glory
And the poets of auld Eireland

If we could make chains with the morning dew
The world would be like Galway Bay
Let's walk over rainbows like leprechauns
The world would be one big Blarney stone

Why the hell are the English there anyway?
As they kill with God on their side
Blame it all on the kids the IRA
As the bastards commit genocide! Aye! Aye! Genocide!

If you had the luck of the Irish
You'd be sorry and wish you was dead
You should have the luck of the Irish
And you'd wish you was English instead!
Yes you'd wish you was English instead!





John Sinclair
John Lennon


It ain't fair, John Sinclair
In the stir for breathing air
Won't you care for John Sinclair?
In the stir for breathing air
Let him be, set him free
Let him be like you and me

They gave him ten for two
What else can the judges do?
Gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta set him free

If he'd been a soldier man
Shooting gooks in Vietnam
If he was the CIA
Selling dope and making hay
He'd be free, they'd let him be
Breathing air, like you and me

They gave him ten for two
What else can the judges do?
Gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta set him free

They gave him ten for two
They got Ali Otis too.
Gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta set him free

Was he jailed for what he done?
Or representing everyone
Free John now, if we can
From the clutches of the man
Let him be, lift the lid
Bring him to his wife and kids

They gave him ten for two
What else can the bastards do?
Gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta set him free





Angela
John Lennon & Yoko Ono


Sister, there's a wind that never dies
Sister, we're breathing together
Sister, our love and hopes forever keep on moving oh so slowly in the world

They gave you sunshine
They gave you sea
They gave you everything but the jailhouse key
They gave you coffee
They gave you tea
They gave you everything but equality

Angela, can you hear the earth is turning?
Angela, the world watches you
Angela, you soon will be returning to your sisters and brothers in the world

Sister, you're still a people teacher
Sister, your word reaches far
Sister, there's a million different races but we all share the same future in the world

They gave you sunshine
They gave you sea
They gave you everything but the jailhouse key
They gave you coffee
They gave you tea
They gave you everything but equality

Angela, they put you in prison
Angela, they shot down your man
Angela, you're one of the millions of political prisoners in the world





We're All Water
Yoko Ono


There may not be much difference
Between Chairman Mao and Richard Nixon
If we strip them naked

There may not be much difference
Between Marilyn Monroe and Lenny Bruce
If we check their coffins

There may not be much difference
Between White House and Hall of People
If we count their windows

There may not be much difference
Between Raquel Welch and Jerry Rubin
If we hear their heartbeat

We're all water from different rivers
That's why it's so easy to meet
We're all water in this vast, vast ocean
Someday we'll evaporate together

There may not be much difference
Between Eldrige Cleaver and Queen of England
If we bottle their tears

There may not be much difference
Between Manson and the Pope
If we press their smile

There may not be much difference
Between Rockefeller and you
If we hear you sing

There may not be much difference
Between you and me
If we show our dreams

We're all water from different rivers
That's why it's so easy to meet
We're all water in this vast, vast ocean
Someday we'll evaporate together

What's the difference?
What's the difference?

There's no difference!
There's no difference!
What's the difference?





Cold Turkey
John Lennon
Recorded live at London's Lyceum Ballroom, 15 December 1969


-"Yes, we'd like to do a number... This song is about pain."


TEMP'RATURE'S RISIN', FEVER IS HIGH,
CAN'T SEE NO FUTURE, CAN'T SEE NO SKY.

MY FEET ARE SO HEAVY, SO IS MY HEAD,
I WISH I WAS A BABY, I WISH I WAS DEAD.

COLD TURKEY HAS GOT ME ON THE RUN.

MY BODY IS ACHING, GOOSE PIMPLE BONE.
CAN'T SEE NOBODY, LEAVE ME ALONE.

MY EYES ARE WIDE OPEN, CAN'T GET TO SLEEP,
ONE THING I'M SURE OF I'M IN AT THE DEEP FREEZE.

COLD TURKEY HAS GOT ME ON THE RUN.

OH!
OH!
OH!

TURKEY HAS GOT ME ON THE RUN.

THIRTY-SIX HOURS ROLLIN' IN PAIN,
PRAYIN' TO SOMEONE, FREE ME AGAIN.

OH, I'LL BE A GOOD BOY, PLEASE MAKE ME WELL,
I PROMISE YOU ANYTHING, GET ME OUT OF THIS HELL.

WELL, COLD TURKEY HAS GOT ME ON THE RUN.

OH! OH! OH! OH! OH! OH!
OH! OH! OH! OH! OH! OH!
OH! OH! OH!...





Don't Worry, Kyoko
Yoko Ono
Recorded live at London's Lyceum Ballroom, 15 December 1969


"-John, I love you!
Britain, you killed Hanratty, you murderer!
You killed Hanratty!"

HANRATTY!
HANRATTY!
HANRATTY!

KYOKO, KYOKO, KYOKO, KYOKO,
KYOKO, KYOKO, KYOKO, KYOKO,
KYOKO, KYOKO, KYOKO, KYOKO,
KYOKO, KYOKO, KYOKO, KYOKO.

DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY,
DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY,
DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY,
DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY,
DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY.

DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY,
DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY,
DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY,
DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY,
DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY.

DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY,
DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY,
DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY.

DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY,
DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY,
DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY,
DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY,
DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY,
DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY,
DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY,
DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY.





Well (Baby, Please Don't Go)
Walter Ward
Recorded live at New York's Fillmore East, 6 June 1971


-"Hey! Sit down and cool it for a minute so we can hear what we're gonna do. And those of you in the band
who have no idea what's about to happen, this is in A minor and it's not standard blues changes."

-"Oh, my God!"

-"But it's close!"

-"This is a song that I used to sing when I was in the Cavern in Liverpool. I haven't done it since so..."

Two, three, four!

YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU, BABY, PLEASE DON'T GO, WELL, WELL;
YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU, BABY, PLEASE DON'T GO, WELL, WELL,
YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU, HONEY CHILD,
THERE'S NOTHING THAT I WOULDN'T DO FOR YOU AT NIGHT.
YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU, BABY, PLEASE DON'T GO, WELL.

YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU, BABY, PLEASE DON'T GO;
YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU, BABY, PLEASE DON'T GO, UH -
YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU, HONEY CHILD,
THERE'S NOTHING THAT I WOULDN'T DO FOR YOU AT NIGHT.
YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU, BABY, PLEASE DON'T GO, WELL.

ZAPPA!

YOU KNOW I WANT YOU, BABY, PLEASE DON'T GO, WELL, WELL;
YOU KNOW I WANT YOU, BABY, PLEASE DON'T GO,
YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU, HONEY CHILD,
THERE'S NOTHING THAT I WOULDN'T DO FOR YOU RIGHT NOW.
YOU KNOW I WANT YOU, BABY, PLEASE DON'T GO, WELL.

WELL, YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU, BABY, PLEASE DON'T GO, WELL;
YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU, BABY, PLEASE DON'T GO,
YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU, HONEY CHILD,
NOTHING THAT I WOULDN'T DO FOR YOU RIGHT NOW.
I KNOW I LOVE YOU, BABY, PLEASE DON'T GO, WELL, WELL.

HEY!





Scumbag
John Lennon, Yoko Ono and Frank Zappa
Recorded live at New York's Fillmore East, 6 June 1971


SCUMBAG, SCUMBAG,
SCUMBAG, SCUMBAG.

SCUMBAG, YEAH! SCUMBAG,
SCUMBAG, SCUMBAG, HO!

SCUMBAG, SCUMBAG,
SCUMBAG, SCUMBAG.

SCUMBAG, SCUMBAG,
SCUMBAG, SCUMBAG.

SCUMBAG, SCUMBAG,
SCUMBAG, SCUMBAG.

SCUMBAG, SCUMBAG,
SCUMBAG, SCUMBAG.

SCUMBAG, SCUMBAG,
SCUMBAG.

SCUMBAG, SCUMBAG, SCUMBAG.

SCUMBAG.

SCUMBAG, SCUMBAG,
SCUMBAG, SCUMBAG.

SCUM, SCUM, SCUMBAG,
SCUMBAG, SCUMBAG, SCUMBAG, SCUMBAG,
SCUMBAG, SCUMBAG, SCUMBAG, SCUMBAG.

-"Hey, listen! I don't know whether you can tell what the words are to this song but there's only two of them and I'd like to have you sing along 'cause it's real easy. Anybody who comes to the Fillmore East can sing this song. The name of the song is 'Scumbag'. Ok? And all you gotta do is sing 'Scumbag'.
Right on, brothers and sister let's hear it for the 'Scumbag'!"

SCUMBAG! SCUMBAG! SCUMBAG! SCUMBAG! SCUMBAG!
SCUMBAG! SCUMBAG! SCUMBAG! SCUMBAG!

SCUMBAG, SCUMBAG, SCUMBAG, SCUMBAG, SCUMBAG,
SCUMBAG, SCUMBAG, SCUMBAG, SCUMBAG, SCUMBAG,
SCUMBAG, SCUMBAG, SCUMBAG, SCUMBAG, SCUMBAG,
SCUM,
SCUMBAG, BABY, SCUMBAG,
SCUMBAG.

SCUMBAG, BABY,
SCUMBAG, BABY, (scumbag, baby)
SCUMBAG, BABY, (scumbag, baby)
SCUMBAG, (scumbag, baby)
SCUMBAG, (scumbag, baby)
SCUMBAG, OH YEAH, (scumbag)
SCUMBAG (scumbag)
SCUMBAG (scumbag) (who's scumbag?)
HEY, SCUMBAG, (scumbag)
SCUMBAG (scumbag)
SCUMBAG (scumbag)
SCUMBAG, SCUMBAG,
SCUM, UH!
SCUMBAG,
SCUMBAG,
SCUMBAG (scumbag)
SCUMBAG,
SCUMBAG,
SCUMBAG,
SCUMBAG.
(oh, oh, oh, yeah)


-"Good night, boys and girls!"

 

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