Em'ralds in my bracelets, diamonds in my rings A riviera chateau and a lot of other things And I'm blue, so blue am I Lots of ready money in seven diff'rent banks I counted up this morning, it was 'bout a million francs And I'm blue, so blue, and I know why I've got harlem on my mind And I'm longin' to be lowdown And my "parlez-vous" will not ring true With harlem on my mind I've been dined and I've been wined But I'm headin' for a showdown 'Cause I can't go on from night to dawn With harlem on my mind I go to supper with a french marquis Each evening after the show My lips begin to whisper "mon cheri" But my heart keeps singin' "hi-de-ho" I've become too damned refined And at night I hate to go down To that high-falutin' flat that lady mendel designed With harlem on my mind I've got harlem on my mind And I'm longing to be lowdown And my "parlez-vous" will not ring true With harlem on my mind I've been dined and I've been wined But sure as your born I'm headin' for a showdown 'Cause I can't go on from night to dawn With harlem on my mind And when I'm bathing in my marble tub Each evening after the show I get to thinkin' 'bout that cotton club And my heart starts chirping "hi-de-ho" Help me I've been too damned refined And at night I hate to go down To that flat with fifty million frenchmen taggin' behind With harlem on my mind