No not me but the state of NJ as a whole…

As far back as I can remember this Long Branch native was and probably is one of New Jerseys biggest icons. Ok well, there is that other guy from the Perth Amboy/Sayreville origin buy there will be a post on him at a later date. We are talking about the one you can say started it all…

First and foremost I do have to say many love him, but there are many who was never into him and hell some even hate him for his politics. Just like me many love me and well many just simply don’t like me just pick a reason, but that’s the way it is for everybody. Now do I love Bruce? No to be honest I loved the Big Man himself Clarence Clemons I’m a huge fan of the saxophone.

But many of his songs I have played over and over for years, again I don’t go Beatles crazy over him like many of my sister’s friends. But I would most definitely do a concert and have one great fucking time. Because number one I am a car guy and Born To Run was my anthem even before I got my license working on my ’67 Camaro at the gas station I worked at all through High School. I would play that song and practice my shifting going through all four gears just fantasizing about racing on rt 21 or ave P in Newark.

Years later when I moved to South Florida whenever I was homesick I would play a few of his songs to make me feel better. And well a few other Jersey Home Grown Singers but Bruce was always the first song’s I ever played, when he would say the lyric ” Tonight I’m gonna take that ride Across the river to the Jersey side” I would just get chills because he was talking about my home that I missed so much. 1400 miles away wishing I could take that ride to the Jersey side but all I had to do was pop in a cd and the would get me through the day.

And not to mention I am the son of an Irish Teamster and my mom is Sicilian, you get no more Blue Collar than a Sicilian/Irish family from Newark and living in Maplewood/South Orange trying to make it. I would see my dad take the train to work every day or get a ride, while my mom worked at the neighborhood cleaners making a good living for me and my older sister. We lived in a 3 story apartment house surrounded by upscale Colonial Houses, many were working-class people like us the super-rich were blocks away but we all got along for the most part.

So when I say his songs spoke to me, they really did in all aspects I could say that I saw a lot of Bruce whenever we would go back to Newark or Kearny. Working-class people making a living for their loved ones with hopes and dreams, oh hell maybe it was just me that thinks this Jesus I dunno all I know is Bruce is a big part of this state forget about his politics everyone has an opinion on that so you may not agree with them but his music is legendary and is what Jersey is all about. Or at least was at the time Sadly we have those suckholes from MTV that created that abomination of a show The Jersey Shore made up from a cast of mostly New Yorkers that almost every brain-dead individual associates with us.

Yea I’d side with Bruce any day over those fuckers…

How do I end this???

Well just like any other artist you have fans then the over the top hardcore fans right down to the ones well just do not like him or his music in any way shape or form and well that’s fine. It comes with the territory but like it or not this guy has been packing them in since 1975 and possesses one the greatest gifts of all.

The ability to create music, not only just music but the kind of music that lasts for decades and no matter what state you are in. If you are from the great state of Jersey it takes you back home with a smile, even if you don’t like him or his music it gets you thinking about your home and where you are from.

From Sussex county all the way down to Cape May and if you can do better be my guest…

1976 marked the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and it was a huge deal coast to coast now I was only 5 years old at the time but it just seemed like the first 6 months of 1976 you were just preparing for July 4th. I was going to Our Lady Of Sorrows at that time Kindergarten actually and almost every day we were doing some kind of red white and blue arts and crafts. Even my sister who was 6 years older than me and a girl scout was planning their Girl Scout trip to Washington to see the Freedom Train.

As the weather got warmer the more they talked and by they I mean every friggin person it seemed like, hell even my uncle started getting the fireworks in April it just seemed like everything was Bicentennial that year. 1776 Quilts (yes my mother made one and guess who’s bed it went on but it was friggin comfortable tho lol..)

Peters Bakery in Maplewood village had 1776 Cookies/cakes/cup cakes even brownies and how would I know because my chubby little 5 year old ass was glued to the window when we walked by the damn place.

Fast forward to the 4th of July now my town every 4th of July at 8am had a cannon they would shoot off three times and it was FUCKING AWESOME.

 Because the fire station did it and guess who lived next to the Fire

 Station??? This Guy!!! It would rattle our apartment building and the loud boom was better than any firework that you could ever set off.

After the Cannon, you had the parade down Valley St and it was badass you had tanks, jeeps and other huge military equipment come down the street. The National Guard and the Army were marching along waving and saluting then you had many dressed up as George Washington’s men and Betsy Ross as well.

Now at 10 am my uncle is taking me to the store with him for the stuff we didn’t get the night before, the Brookdale Soda from Home Liquors, and another quick stop to Calandra’s Bakery in Newark (our family’s origin North Ward) and then another stop to my Uncle Mikes Used Car lot to get the special fireworks. Now we get home to Maplewood by 12 noon to start the grilling as people start to come. My aunts, uncles, cousins from Newark, Bloomfield, and Kearny

It was all day fireworks and shenanigans not to mention there was a circus in the park so we would break off an go not to mention the local girls gymnastics team did a little show at the other park across from the circus. Then as soon as it got dark the big show came.

The 9pm Fireworks and to this day I will never forget how fantastic they were.

I will never forget the preparation… The Fun and most of all…

 The Patriotism

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