The Royal Scam - Steely Dan

And they wandered in from the city

Of St. John without a dime

Wearing coats that shined both red and green

Colors from their sunny island

From their boats of iron they looked upon

The promised land where surely life was sweet

On the rising tide to New York City

Did they ride into the street

See the glory (see the glory of)

Of the royal scam

They are hounded down to the bottom

Of a bad town amid the ruins

Where they learn to fear an angry race

Of fallen kings, their dark companions

While the memory of their southern sky

Was clouded by the savage winter

Every patron saint hung on the wall

Shared the room with twenty sinners

See the glory (see the glory of)

Of the royal scam

By the blackened wall he does it all

He thinks he’s died and gone to heaven

Now the tale is told by the old man

Back home he reads the letter

How they are paid in gold just to babble

In the back room all night and waste their time

And they wandered in from the city

Of St. John without a dime

See the glory (see the glory of)

Of the royal scam

See the glory (see the glory of)

Of the royal scam

See the glory (see the glory of)

Of the royal scam