(Verse)
Old Peter Minuit had nothing to lose
When he bought the isle of Manhattan
For 26 dollars and a bottle of booze
And they threw in the Bronx and Staten
Pete thought that he had the beset of the bargain
But the poor red man just grinned
And he grunted "Ugh," meaning "okay" in his jargon
For he knew poor Pete was skinned
We've tried to run the city
But the city ran away
And now, Peter Minuit
We can't continue it

(Chorus 1)
Broadway's turning into Coney
Champagne Charlie's drinking gin
Old New York is new and phony
Give it back to the Indians

Two cents more to smoke a Lucky
Dodging buses keeps you thin
New New York is simply ducky
Give it back to the Indians

Take all the reds
On the boxes made for soap
Whites on 5th Avenue
Blues down in Wall Street losing hope
Big bargain today
Chief, take it away
Come, you busted city slickers
Better take it on the chin
Father Knick has lost his knickers
Give it back to the Indians

(Chorus 2)
86th Street looks like Berlin
And the Giants never win
No dark park to kiss your girl in
Give it back to the Indians

Even Harlem's getting darker
No more jokes to make us grin
MGM's got Dotty Parker
Give it back to the Indians

Go to the park
See the monkeys in the zoo
All absolutely free
But then the city tax comes due
And when you get through
Whose monkey are you?

Just to make it easy sailin'
Sell the Fair, it's made of tin
But be sure that they get Whalen
Give it back to the Indians
(Chorus 3)
The Music Hall has presentations
But you simply can't get in
Try to jump those excavations
Give it back to the Indians

Shakespeare doesn't get a showing
When those striptease girls begin
Yet Tobacco Road keeps going
Give it back to the Indians

Bound on the north
By the Bronx, a pretty view
East
By Long Island, smoke
West
By New Jersey, pots of glue
South Brooklyn's asleep
Chief no wanna keep

Swing bands give you heebie-jeebies
Dewey's put an end to sin
Men wear clothes like Lucius Beebe's
Give it back to the Indians