Well I walked to town in the pouring rain Paid my fare and I rode that train To the station under the avenue Hit the air at the stroke of noon At the cross streets where I staked my claim I played in tune with the winter rain Collecting dimes and dollar bills While the noisy traffic played the fills And it's Christmas time in the city When the air is filled with cheer And the storefronts look this pretty only once a year Well the vendors huddled and the taxis honked As I played for change beneath the neon clock Was dressed up looking like a Christmas tree Blinking down on that busy street When the crowd thinned out and the rain had quit And my fingers felt cold and stiff I took their money and I closed my case And I headed back towards home again And it's Christmas time in the city When the air is filled with cheer And the storefronts look this pretty only once a year As I walked back to the subway stairs I had twenty eight dollars in change for fare There was an old bag lady with an outstretched hand And a small Salvation Army band Playing Angels We Have Heard on High The First Noel and O Holy Night I folded up one dollar bill And I tucked it down into the till And it's Christmas time in the city When the air is filled with cheer And the storefronts look this pretty only once a year And it's Christmas time in the city When the air is filled with cheer And the storefronts look this pretty only once a year And it's Christmas time in the city