“Englishman in New York” by Sting, arranged with tab for fingerstyle guitar by Daryl Shawn.
“Englishman in New York” is a song by English artist Sting, from his second studio album …Nothing Like the Sun, released in October 1987. Branford Marsalis played soprano saxophone on the track, while the drums were played by Manu Katché and the percussion by Mino Cinélu.
The single was released in February 1988 as the third single from the album, but only reached #51 on the UK Singles Chart. In the US, “Englishman in New York” peaked at #84 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in April 1988 and reached #32 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart that same month. However, the single was more successful in continental Europe, becoming a hit in several countries, reaching the Top 40 (and sometimes the Top 20) in France, Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, etc. “Englishman in New York” was also a Top 20 hit in Ireland. In South Africa, it peaked at no. 9.
In 1990, just prior to the release of his third studio album The Soul Cages, Sting’s record label licensed Dutch DJ and producer Ben Liebrand to remix “Englishman in New York” and subsequently released it as a single. The remix played around with the introduction and some of the instrumentation, but the essence of the song remained the same. The new version was commercially successful, reaching number 15 in the UK charts in mid-1990.
In 2010, Sting re-recorded the song in an orchestral version for his album Symphonicities.
Sting wrote the song about the famous eccentric and gay icon Quentin Crisp, who is the “Englishman” of the title. The song was composed not long after Crisp had moved from London to an apartment in the Bowery in Manhattan. Sting had met him and Crisp remarked jokingly to the musician “that he looked forward to receiving his naturalisation papers so that I can commit a crime and not be deported.”
Lyrics:
[Verse 1]
I don’t drink coffee, I’ll take tea my dear
I like my toast done on one side
And you can hear it in my accent when I talk
I’m an Englishman in New York
[Verse 2]
See me walking down Fifth Avenue
A walking cane here at my side
I take it everywhere I walk
I’m an Englishman in New York
[Chorus]
I’m an alien, I’m a legal alien
I’m an Englishman in New York
I’m an alien, I’m a legal alien
I’m an Englishman in New York
[Verse 3]
If “manners maketh man” as someone said
Then he’s the hero of the day
It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile
Be yourself, no matter what they say
[Chorus]
I’m an alien, I’m a legal alien
I’m an Englishman in New York
I’m an alien, I’m a legal alien
I’m an Englishman in New York
[Bridge]
Modesty, propriety, can lead to notoriety
You could end up as the only one
Gentleness, sobriety are rare in this society
At night a candle’s brighter than the sun
[Saxophone solo followed by drums]
[Verse 4]
Takes more than combat gear to make a man
Takes more than a license for a gun
Confront your enemies, avoid them when you can
A gentleman will walk but never run
[Verse 3]
If “manners maketh man” as someone said
Then he’s the hero of the day
It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile
Be yourself, no matter what they say
Be yourself, no matter what they say
Be yourself, no matter what they say
Be yourself, no matter what they say
Be yourself, no matter what they say
[Chorus]
I’m an alien, I’m a legal alien
I’m an Englishman in New York
I’m an alien, I’m a legal alien
I’m an Englishman in New York
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