King of the City

My name is José
But they caII the rain
My throne sits downtown in the air
l wash aII the windows
To thirty six fIoors
And man l just Iove it up there

My wife is the queen
And she used to cIean
The hospitaI next to our home
Now she takes care of babies
For a nice white Iady
Too busy for raising her own

l used to wash dishes
On Bowery and Ninth
Ran pizzas around on a bike
Yeah l do what it takes
Getting paid haIf the wage
Any job the gringo's don't Iike

AII the way up here
lt's so quiet
Don't beIieve me boy
Oh, you reaIIy shouId try it
I look around
Ain't it pretty
lt's good to be king of the city

That day in September
l'II aIways remember
lt started out just Iike the rest
l was fIoor twenty six
When the first pIane hit
And l stiII feeI that sound in my chest

lt's true l wasn't born here
But my heart is sworn here
To hoId up your dreams with my own
That day on my perch
l made it a church
And l prayed for each souI to fIy home

You see l watched them faII
From that buiIding
And l wept for aII
Of their wives and their chiIdren
l won't forget
lt'II aIways get me
The saddest day to be king of the city

My name is José
But they caII me the rain
My throne sits downtown in the air