ain't got no time for the corner boys
down on the street, making all that noise
or the girls out on 8th avenue
'cause tonight I wanna be
with you
tonight I'm gonna take that ride
cross the river to the Jersey side
take my baby to the carnival
and I'll take her
on all the rides
'cause down the shore everything's alright
you and your baby on a saturday night
and you know you make all my dreams come true
when I'm walking down the street with you
you know she thrills me with all her charms
when I'm wrapped up in my baby's arms
my little angel gives me everything
and I know someday that she'll wear my ring
so don't bother me, man I ain't got no time
I'm on my way to see that girl of mine
'cause nothing matters in this cold hard world
when you're in love
with a Jersey girl
sing sha la la la la la la
shalalala la la la la la
shala la la lala lala
shalala la la la
Down the shore everything's alright
you and your baby on a saturday night
cause nothing matters in this whole wide world
when you're in love with a Jersey girl
I always loved that song. "Jersey Girl,"
Now, it's a Tom Waits song, but I first heard it from Springsteen, and I think the way Mr. Springsteen sings it has colored the lights on the carnival ride for me. I didn't hear the original until much later, at which point it just made me love the song even more - it's very different. But anyway by then the lyrics I knew had faded to a palimpsest, and the version I have now, the one in my head, I've sort of forgotten my way into. Starting from a mingled memory of both, but probably not very accurate to either.
But all that is by way of apology, because the song itself is beautiful. I love the casual and true way it shifts between addressing her in the second and third persons; she's on his mind the whole day through - sometimes more distant, like a dream or a future thing. Sometimes so close you could almost catch her up tight in your arms, bury your happy lovesmacked head in her big Jersey hair, letting your scents of salt sweat, coconut sunscreen and sea air mingle as your pulses thrum to each other through your goose-pricked skins.
And tonight, you're going to take that ride. Cross the river.
Sing sha la la la la lala.
3 comments:
I definitely have my own favorite version/cover of this song as well, though it's not Bruce or Tom.
I am also quite happy to be Jersey girl enough (partly bred, though not born) to have always loved this song. It only gains in magic when you reach the point where someone really does make that long drive to take you on all the rides, and then is thrilled as he's wrapped in your arms along the shore.
Piratey sea air, leftover sunshined salt-sweat, and coconut sunscreen scent are all certainly vivid though unsung aspects of the experience. But big Jersey hair, ahem, I don't know.
HEY! What's wrong with big Jersey hair?
Sometimes people are walking around with big Jersey hair and it's just sort of the natural wind and sea-tang tease that floofs it up all wild. Nothing deliberate or self-conscious or affected, I am sure.
In fact, that's probably how the whole thing began!
I see what you mean now. I guess I'm just sensitive to the fact that I was never able to take part in the big-hair fun of the '80s. The high, sprayed constructions with complicated bangs going in various directions. That was fun, wasn't it? I mean, I don't know how those hairstyles looked after sleeping on them or anything, but it looked like awful fun to do and to wear. But I was kind of too young for it, and my hair wa s'actually quite straight then, and naturally inclined toward more classic, uncomplicated styles (a la '70s). Although I did start a trend of a sort of headband-push-forward pompadour thing when I was about 11 or 12. Rachel U. co-opted it as her own, but I was doing it first and have the pictures to prove it!
I thought you meant that '80s kind of big hair. But seasalty and air-floofed, yes, I can see how that would create naturally voluminous and sexy big Jersey hair. Go big Jersey hair! The only problem is those occasional strands that blow between kissing lips.
I tried to recreate my comment from the other day that got lost, but unfortunately this one is nothing like it. Oh well. It's its own thing.
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