The Royal Scam Songtext
von 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
A 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