I’ve seen the lights go out on Broadway
I’ve watched the mighty skyline fall
The boats were waiting at the battery
The union went on strike
They never sailed at all
They sent a carrier out from Norfolk
And picked the Yankees up for free
They said that Queens could stay
They blew the Bronx away
And sank Manhattan out at sea
When I saw Billy Joel live in the 1970s, he used the line, “I’ve seen the rats lie down on Broadway” in one of the verses.