July 4, 2005

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  The following entry is a reprint from 2003. I thought it was worth a second look.
  My sentiments remain the same as they were two years ago.

  
  

   

  
  

         

  
  

      Fourth of July Greetings    

  
  

   

  
  

                    from The Heart                

  
  

                                       

  
  

   

  
  

     of The Garden State

  
  

  I grew up in NJ in the late 60's and early 70's.

  
  

  In addition to the celebration of the birth of our country, and all the "life, liberty and pursuit of happiness" stuff that I am very aware of as an American and also from living so close to Philadelphia, the epicenter of the day's events, the Fourth of July also holds a very special and unique meaning to residents of this quirky little coastal state. It is considered the official beginning of the summer season "down the shore"...a season of sheer magic, where a short road trip can take you away...

  
  

  A major part of New Jersey's economy was built around and still relies on tourism at our miles of beaches and shore resorts, which were once a major vacation destination for people of all levels of society from all over the world. The glories of towns like Atlantic City in its heyday are just distant memories in museums and old photos. The victorian splendor of most of the old seaside resorts has long been gone and nearly forgotten. Part of the charm of the shore lies in the tattered and faded glory of shore towns that are long past their prime and fallen on hard times. Some, like Asbury Park, are nearly ghost towns now. But a some of the spirit of the Jersey shore lives on. The honky-tonk carnival atmosphere of our seaside boardwalks is like nothing I have encountered at any other shore area I have visited in all my travels.

  
  

  When I was growing up, the Jersey Shore was well into its decline, with distance travel being more accesible than ever, ocean pollution on the rise, increasing crime rates, and many other factors contributing to its loss of popularity as a vacation destination. A turnaround is happening now, with revitalization and rebuilding of a lot of the old towns, cleaner beaches as a result of stricter environmental controls, and the continued growth of Atlantic City as the Casino capital of the East.

  
  

  But for many natives, there is still a special place in the heart for the Jersey Shore as it was in our youth, and still remains in a few places here and there -- a painted gypsy of a place, reeking of the mixed perfumes of suntan oil and creosote, Italian sausages with peppers and onions, pizza and seafood, salt air, mussel shells and sea weed washed up on the shore...illuminated by the gaudy glow of amusement rides and concession stands, with the twinkling of the stars above and the lights of boats way out on the ocean...resounding with the sounds of humanity at play, underscored by carousel calliope, tic-tick-ticking of the wheels of chance, 5 cents on a number of your choice to win a stuffed toy or a box of candy bars...bicycles and baby strollers tack-a-tack-a-tack on the boardwalk, a cacaphony of music spilling from bars and pizza stands, punctuated by the occasional whoosh! or ding! from an arcade, distant screams and shouts from the roller coasters, with the ocean waves and raucous laughter of gulls ever in the background...

  
  

  If you listen carefully to some of Bruce Springsteen's music, especially the early songs, you can hear it, you can feel it, it will take you there.

  
  

  I feel this song says it all...

  
  

    

  
  

  
  

  4TH OF JULY, ASBURY PARK
  (SANDY)

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  Sandy, the fireworks are hailin’ over Little Eden tonight
  Forcin’ a light into all those stony faces
  left stranded on this warm July
  Down in town the circuit’s full
  with switchblade lovers - so fast, so shiny, so sharp
  And the wizards play down on Pinball Way
  on the boardwalk way past dark
  And the boys from the casino dance with their shirts open
  like Latin lovers on the shore
  Chasin' all them silly New York virgins by the score
  
  Sandy, the aurora is risin’ behind us, the pier lights our carnival life forever
  Oh love me tonight, for I may never see you again, hey Sandy girl
  Na na baby
  
  Now the greasers, they tramp the streets or get busted
  for sleeping on the beach all night
  Them boys in their high heels
  ah Sandy their skins are so white
  And me I just got tired of hangin’ in them dusty arcades
  bangin’ them pleasure machines
  Chasin’ the factory girls underneath the boardwalk
  where they all promise to unsnap their jeans
  And you know that tilt-a-whirl down on the south beach drag
  I got on it last night and my shirt got caught
  And they kept me spinnin' baby, didn't think I'd ever get off
  
  Oh Sandy, the aurora is risin' behind us
  This pier lights our carnival life on the water
  Runnin' laughin' 'neath the boardwalk with the boss's daughter
  I remember Sandy girl
  Na na na na baby
  
  Sandy, that waitress I was seeing lost her desire for me 
  I spoke with her last night,
  she said she won't set herself on fire for me anymore 
  She worked that joint under the boardwalk,
  she was always the girl you saw 
  boppin' down on the beach with the radio 
  The kids say last night she was dressed like a star in one of them cheap little seaside bars,
  and I saw her parked with Loverboy out on the Kokomo
  
  Well the cops finally busted Madame Marie, for tellin’ fortunes better than they do
  for me this boardwalk life's through
  You ought to quit this scene too
  
  Oh Sandy, the aurora's rising behind us
  Oh the pier life it drags on and on forever
  Oh love me tonight girl I promise I'll love you forever
  Hey Sandy girl, na na na na baby
  Oh Sandy girl, na na baby

  
  

  
  *note: lyrics refer to versions of "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" performed by Bruce Springsteen in the early days...

  • 1:49 pm
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