And go out steppin' with his Black Rose

Wicked trouble it will bring, Lord have mercy
My Black Rose, he don't own ya
She bewitch all men soul
Mister Frankie Diamond tell me do the right thing
How could she sleep
So we met at Beirut for cocktails and ice
Nothin' ever got this good brother down
With the sweat on my brow
She's the Queen of New York City
She said, "Hey, best friend, let's go back to my place
You won't be makin' love to my Black
She's up in heaven now, my Black Rose
I wasn't thinkin' of Frankie, I have to confess
With a hole in my chest, but I don't feel no hurt
And when she closed the door she took off her blouse
But it rained on the way back to her house

Now Frankie comin' back and I know that I am through

But in the crimson dawn, Black Rose would unfold
Frankie started hangin' with an uptown girl
Lyin' in bed with my Black Rose
My Black Rose, he don't own ya
She the blood that flow right through me
The word leaked out, I'd be better off dead
On Saturday night he'd put on his best clothes
When she crossed that room in her tight red dress
Continued to spiral in her social whirl
And drain all the poison from my soul

Roisin Dubh me no can get over you

I'm makin' love to my Black
She said, "Uh uh", in her uptown voice
Next thing I know, I'm whisperin' sweet nothin's
Is that a piece in his pocket or is it a blade
She bewitch all men soul
I need to fix my mascara and remodel my face"
Now the letters I wrote Frankie returned unread

My Black Rose, he don't own ya
A Harlem lady in the social whirl
So stay with me tonight
Now I'm standin' up here on forty deuce
Bury me next to my Black Rose
When you go and find her body

While I pushed back the seconds oozing from the clock

At nights I'd lie there and listen to her breathe
Just spent two years in paradise with my Black Rose
Roisin Dubh, me no can get over you
Another terminal man waitin' for his bus

He called me up, he said, "Hey friend of mine
Now Frankie comin' home, wicked trouble it will bring

But me and Rosie, we have a little fling
Watch his girl while he away at Sing Sing

A time is in me mind no matter what I do
Now I'm lyin' face down in the terminal dirt
Here come Frankie with his head all shaved
So don't be messin' with my Black Rose

So stay with me tonight, for the rest of your life

A guest of the nation and he was in tears
She bewitch all men soul
So I paged her from my gig on East 7th I said
I got one favor to ask you while I'm doin' my time"
So deep, so sweet, as calm as a rock
Still in love with my Black Rose
Now Frankie went upstate for a couple of years
He was a real live wire in an electric town

I don't wanna go to heaven, I been there before

She's the Queen of New York City
"Hey, babe, you doin' anythin' 'round about 11?"
She's the Queen of New York City

While Frankie was upstate, his Harlem girl
Keep your hands off my Black Rose