You're looking at the man
Who used to be the king
The king of old Broadway
The best of everything
Was mine to have each day
I always had the biggest hits
The biggest bathrooms at the Ritz
My showgirls had the biggest tits
I never was the pits in anyway
We believe you
Thousands wouldn't
We believe you, every word
We believe you
Thousands couldn't
We believe each word we heard
I used to be the king (the king)
The King of old Broadway
My praises they would sing
A Ziegfeld so they'd say
My shows were always filled with class
The best champagnes would fill my glass
My lap was filled with gorgeous ass
You couldn't call me crass in any way
We believe you
Thousands wouldn't
We believe you, every word
We believe you
Thousands couldn't
We believe each word we heard
There was a time when I was young and gay, but straight
There was a time when I was bold
There was a time when each and every play I touched
Would turn to gold
(There was a time he wore the finest clothes) I did
(His shoes were always new)
Now I wear a rented tux
That's two weeks overdue
(Poor Bialy, what a shmoozer) Rented tux
(Poor Bialy, what a shame) Overdue
(Poor Bialy, what a loser) Way overdue
(Poor Bialy, goodbye fame)
Such reviews! How dare they insult me in this manner?
How quickly they forget
I was a protegé of the great Boris Tomashevsky (Ooh)
Yes, yes, I know
He taught me everything I know
I'll never forget, he turned to me on his deathbed and said
Maxella, alle menschen muss zu machen
Heim du gegatzen kashen pishen pippikrachen
What does that mean?
Who knows, I don't speak Yiddish
Strangely enough, neither did he
But in my heart I knew what he was saying
He was saying, when you're down and out
And everybody thinks you're finished
That's the time to stand up on your two feet and shout
Who do you have to fuck to get a break in this stinking town?
♪
I used to be the king
The king of old Broadway
Again I will be king
And be on top to stay (on top to stay, hey)
There'll be gala opening nights again
You'll see my name in lights again
I'll go from dark to brights again
My spirits high as kites again
I'll never suffer slights again
I'll taste those sweet delights again
No plethora of plights again
No blossoming of blights again
No frantic fits or frights again
Fame is in my sights again
I'll take those fancy flights again
I'm gonna scale the heights again
Bialystock will never drop
Bialystock will never stop
Bialystock will be on top again
(Fame is in his sights again)
(He'll take those fancy flights again)
(He's gonna scale the heights again)
I'll be on top again (hey)