New York Tales-Act 5>Post Trip Talk>Love In Song

i believe i'm like most people, from the moment i'm awake to the time i go to sleep, i always have some form of music on, whether it's talkradio with the chimmie sing-songee, breathy deejays or hosts speaking when i'm getting ready for work, whatever i have on in the car while driving to work, cd player at lunchtime walking & when i go home from & onto wherever i'm supposed to be. the bottom line is, we seem to gravitate as human beings to varied forms of sounds, be they rhythmic voices or music.

the same can be said for remembering a city by a song that we hear when we are younger. you know what i mean, it just sort of sticks to the roof of your mouth like peanut butter & bacon mixed together. you hum it wherever you go during the day & you always remember it.

songwriters seem to have that same effect on us all, especially when they write songs about the cities we visit or live in. and come to think of it, well as far as i can tell, new york city seems to have a lot of songs written about it.

i know when i was flying to new york last friday night, i listened to the soundtrack of west side story. somehow, the passion of the music just made me feel the wonderous of joy of the vibrant city, which as some of you know, has been portrayed as a tiny dirty crowded island. it is, i suppose, but not having seen the parts that are, i can't say much on that subject, just yet.

when my plane flew overhead of the downtown area, i thought about the song, new york city by john lennon, as well as king kong falling off the empire state building to his death. in that instance, i heard the tune, new york minute, by the eagles. and so i cried, because i was at that moment, so happy to be there.

when i was a passenger on the super shuttle van, waiting to get out the times square fiasco, full of people & blaring signs, i heard frank sinatra's signature piece, new york, new york. by the time i was dropped in the village & passed by bleeker street, yep, you guessed it, i thought about simon & garfunkel's version of bleecker street.

on saturday, while riding the subway train to central park west, as we passed the varying streets, i heard simon & garfunkel yet again, this time, it was the 59th street bridge song (feelin' groovy) & duke ellington's take the 'a' train. after my performance on saturday afternoon & after i had parted ways with stewart (howard stern impersonator, see new york tales-post trip talk>act 2>howard, howard, howard). i went up to times square where virtually other new york song in my head was revived.

walking up 5th avenue, i heard judy garland & bing crosby sing easter parade, while a few blocks away walking up to the theater district, i heard give my regards to broadway. lastly, when i caught the train to 125th avenue & lexington in harlem, i heard & began to sing loudly & proudly cab calloway's tarzan of harlem. the people around me didn't seem to mind.

now i suspect other cities around the world have songs written about them too, i know chicago has a few, as well as san francisco, kansas city, phoenix, new orleans as well as foreign cities, like london & paris. nothing like new york though. as i now know that new york is probably one of the most jumping & vibrant cities i have been to in a long long time.

perhaps one day i'll write a song about new york. but you know, in a way i have already. through my stories i've been writing for the past few weeks. while thinking about this blog's subject matter, i stumbled across this song online. i bet most new yorkers don't even know their own state song. having said that, i'd like to leave you the lyrics. thanks to everyone in new york who made my life happy for that week in 1983 and this past weekend. you rock!

I Love New York

(written & composed by steve karmen)


There isn't another like it.
No matter where you go.
And nobody can compare it.
It's win and place and show.
New York is special.
New York is diff'rent' cause there's no place else on earth quite like New York and that's why
I LOVE NEW YORK

There isn't another like it.
No matter where you go.
And nobody can compare it.
It's win and place and show.
New York is special.
New York is diff'rent' cause there's no place else on earth quite like New York and that's why I LOVE NEW YORK

There isn't another like it.
No matter where you go.
And nobody can compare it.
It's win and place and show.
New York is special.
New York is diff'rent' cause there's no place else on earth quite like New York and that's why I LOVE NEW YORK