'No Small Magic:' Penning a Song About NYC in Three Hours

Feb. 14, 2011 — -- A song about New York, N.Y. -- seems simple, right? The bright lights of the big city have inspired countless ditties, rhymes and symphonies.

But attach a three-hour deadline to the creation of that song and things get more complicated.

Apex Manor, the California-based indie rock duo, recently took on the challenge posed by ABC News Now's "Amplified": 180 minutes of hair pulling, soul searching and guitar strumming yielded a bittersweet anthem with an apt name: "No Small Magic."

Click the video on the left to hear their ode to New York City and check out the "No Small Magic's" lyrics, below.

Never left for the golden west

but the radio let you know

the echo of the wedding bells

ringing for someone else.

So you whistled down Broadway while

strangers tried to catch your eye

smiling like a newlywed

with a symphony in your head.

And no small magic

in your song

all alone in Manhattan

for so, for so long.

Crossed the street that bore your name

crashed into your first old flame

brushing by without a word

swelling strings were all you heard.

Turned on a dime when the chorus came

started running for the uptown train

burning for the studio --

heartache always has a home.

And no small magic

in your song

all alone in Manhattan

for so, for so long.