“I know that New Jersey’s made fun of,” Mr. Mascara says in a trailer for the documentary. “But you know, they made fun of Sinatra in the beginning, too. I just want to say to New Jersey, don’t give up. We’re going to make it. And I want to make you proud.”
ADDED: I love the way Mascara says — at the end of that 5-minute video — that after all these years with no state song, New Jersey should just realize that his song — which isn't very good! — is the best it's going to get.
Here's a list of the state songs, showing New Jersey as the only state with no state song. Some states have more than one — such as Wisconsin, with a song ("On, Wisconsin!") and a state ballad ("Oh Wisconsin, Land of My Dreams") and a state waltz ("The Wisconsin Waltz"). Tennessee has 10 state songs (putting the "ten" in "Tennessee"). Massachusetts has a state folk song, "Massachusetts" by Arlo Guthrie (which seems unfair to The Bee Gees).
I remember years ago there was some talk of making "Born to Run" the New Jersey state song. They're proud of Bruce Springsteen. But "suicide machines" followed closely by "suicide rap" is just so inappropriate! Me, I busted out of New Jersey in 1969. I didn't especially like it, but I wouldn't say it ripped the bones from my back.
ALSO: "The 22 Most New Jersey Songs Of All Time/Surprisingly, they’re not ALL by Bruce Springsteen." What if you had to pick one to be the NJ state song?
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9 comments:
I like John Gorka's "I'm From New Jersey" better. youtu.be/bHNGyc4QZos?t=42s
The completely conventional Lou Avery has his totally square hopes and dreams resting upon the success of his banal, pro-establishment comic strip entitled "Scout's Honor." A mischievous monkey in uniform.
Stan and the other creatives make Lou and "Scout's Honor" the butt of their mocking in-humor. Lou overhears their ridicule and there's a confrontation.
Lou accuses the creatives of being short-sighted for pissing on his ambitions, and he tries to speaks their language, so they'll understand:
LOU: You know who had a ridiculous dream, and people laughed at him?
STAN: You?
LOU: Bob Dylan! Is that hip enough for you?
And to think there are people out there who don't think that the writing on Mad Men was fucking superb.
From the evidence submitted, Red Mascara looks like a solid citizen and an ok guy. However, Red Mascara sounds like the kind of make up a cheap trollop would wear. Rocky Mascari would have been a much cooler name.. I thought Greetings from Asbury Park covered the Jersey experience.
"I thought Greetings from Asbury Park covered the Jersey experience."
South Jersey.
I've lived in south Jersey and I've live in northern New Jersey. Very different.
Bruce Springsteen: for all the people who wanted Fonzie to be authentic.
I am Laslo.
I thought jazz guitarist/vocalist John Pizzarelli was angling for State Song when he released “I Like Jersey Best” around 15 years ago. Amusingly, he ended up doing commercials for Foxwoods, and thus seemed to abandon Atlantic City for an Indian casino in Connecticut. As for my home state, “I Love the Hills of Connecticut” was adopted as state song some time in the 70s, replacing its unofficial state song, “Boola Boola,” the Yale fight song. Supposedly, Gov. Thomas Meskill, who went to Trinity in Hartford, disliked always hearing something from Yale, so he brought in a bland, awful song that nobody knew or cared about. (Edwin Newman made wonderful fun of this little drama in his book A Civil Tongue.) Now, apparently, the Connecticut song is “Yankee Doodle.” They should probably just go back to “Boola Boola.”
https://youtu.be/zsfeEvZcTjM
Wow, talk about synchronicity! I haven't heard this song in years, yet just now, only an hour after seeing this video you posted, I heard a crooner's version of this song on an easy-listening radio station I like. (Yes...I do like easy-listening music...as much as I like Captain Beefheart or The Stooges or Sex Pistols.)
I would think the theme from The Godfather would be the obvious choice.
I spent 9 years with NJ as my home State, drove the NJT and GSP way too many times, been to every county, many beaches, barrens and mountains, smelled the stink of Secaucus and the traffic of Patterson, hit the farmer's markets and the malls, ridden the trains and buses to and from NYC and Philly, waited in endless lines to get my car inspection stickers only to have to re-align headlights yet again. I was the only WASP in a white Hebrew and Catholic neighborhood with 3 other minority families: two black and one Pacific Rim. The only fond memories are visiting Morristown, Ft Dix and and leaving never to return. I won't even take a connection through Newark.
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