FORTY-SECOND STREET 

from 1933 film "42nd Street"
(Harry Warren (m) Al Dubin (l) 1932)

Dick Powell & Ruby Keeler (film soundtrack)


In the heart of little old New York
You'll find a thoroughfare;
It's the part of little old New York
That runs into Times Square.

A crazy quilt
That Wall Street Jack built,
If you've got a little time to spare,
I'd like to take you there.

Come and meet
Those dancing feet,
On the avenue
I'm takin' you to,
Forty-Second Street.

Hear the beat
Of dancing feet,
It's the song I love
The melody of,
Forty-Second Street.

Little nifties
>From the fifties,
Innocent and sweet;
Sexy ladies
>From the eighties,
Who are indiscreet.

Oh, they're side by side,
They're glorified
Where the underworld can meet the elite,
Forty-Second Street.

Little nifties
>From the fifties,
Innocent and sweet;
Sexy ladies
>From the eighties,
Who are indiscreet.

They're side by side,
They're glorified
Where the underworld can meet the elite,
Naughty, gaudy, bawdy, sporty,
Forty-Second Street.

The big parade
Goes on for years,
It's a rhapsody of laughter and tears,
Naughty, gaudy, bawdy, sporty,
Forty-Second Street.

Come and meet
Those dancing feet,
On the avenue
I'm takin' you to,
Forty-Second Street.

Hear the beat
Of dancing feet,
It's the song I love
The melody of,
Forty-Second Street.

Little nifties
>From the fifties,
Innocent and sweet;
Sexy ladies
>From the eighties,
Who are indiscreet.

The big parade
Goes on for years,
It's a rhapsody of laughter and tears,
Naughty, bawdy, gaudy, sporty,
Forty-Second Street.


as recorded by The Boswell Sisters
with The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra
April 11th 1933 New York

Come and meet
Those dancin' feet, (scat)
On the avenue
I'm takin' you to,
Forty-Second Street.

Hear the beat
Of dancin' feet, (scat)
It's the song I love
The melody of,
Forty-Second Street.

Little nifties
>From the fifties,
Innocent and sweet;
Sexy ladies
>From the eighties,
Give yourself a treat!

Side by side,
They're glorified, (scat)
Where the whole world meets success and defeat,
Forty-Second Street,
Haudy gaudy,
Love is Forty,
Forty-Second Street.

Forty-Second Street,
Forty-Second Street,
On the avenue
I'm taking you.
Forty-Second Street,
Forty-Second Street,
Don't I love
The memory of.

In the middle,
In the middle of little old New York,
You'll find the crowds all there.
In the middle,
It's the part of little old New York
Runs into old Times Square.

You'll find an awful lot o' rhythm,
No-one seems to care.
If you have a little time to spare,
I wanna take you there.

Come and meet
Those dancin' feet,
It's the song I love,
That melody of
Forty-Second Street.

Rough and tough guys,
Park Avenue guys,
All a-walkin' up and down the street.
Lovely ladies
>From the eighties,
Give yourself a treat!

All the couples struttin' side by side,
Everybody walkin' there satisfied,
Where the whole world meets success and defeat,
Forty-Second Street.




(Transcribed by Peter Akers - October 2013)