Mario, Neither Cohen nor Springsteen ever refer to Asbury Park as a town of losers. Obviously he's referring to the lyric from Thunder Road, which never specifies a particular town. (though given its references to dusty beach roads and windblown hair [hard to imagine on snail paced Ocean Avenue], it's likely he had some town in southern Ocean County in mind.) Cohen, like Springsteen, is using it as a metaphor for any small town in America from which a young, creative person would want to escape. Yes, he specifies a "boardwalk scene", but again, that could be Point, Seaside, Wildwood, whatever. He's talking about the shore in general, and you shouldn't take it as a slight. It's just a college kid writing about how everyone can get into Bruce's version of "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town", which is true (until about the 10th time they play it ;).
As to what he meant by horizontally inclined, I guess he was imagining the US as a person lying on his stomach, arms (New England) outstretched. Of course, one then wonders what metaphor he'd use for the south of Texas. The main thrust of his essay seems to be that --- In AsburyPark@yahoogroups.com, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > Thought I was in for a feel-good read. Until I came across the reference to > Asbury Park as "a town of losers." Guess I'm not thick-skinned. Feel free > to educate this guy via the comment box or letters link. > > Anyone get what he means by "horizontally inclined"? > > ============================================= > > From Duke University's The Sandbox - Recess > at http://tinyurl.com/6m3ccx Posted: 12/4/08 > > > We New Jerseyans have thick skin about most offenses to the Garden State. > (Just to be clear: It doesn't smell like garbage, I don't find it ironic that > > our state nickname invokes beauty and if New Jersey is the armpit of America, > > our glob of a country sure is horizontally inclined.) > > > We'll tolerate most barbs, but don't you dare demean Bruce Springsteen, > because The Boss is ours. He's stitched himself into the fabric of New > Jersey, > and by this point he's as culturally ingrained as diners, Tony Soprano and > the > neon lights on the boardwalk's tilt-a-whirls down the shore. > > > It doesn't matter that Springsteen became rock and roll's future by yearning > to leave New Jersey and find himself on the open road, to quit the boardwalk > scene and pull out of a town full of losers, because even though he left... > well, he never really did. He still plays rollicking shows in Giants Stadium > on every tour and, with the E Street Band, awes crowds with rumbling sets > that include the same hits from those iconic 1970s albums. > > > The state's true poet laureate is now a revered social critic, and his music > reflects his age and political activism-and from a selfish standpoint, it's > simply not as fun to blast the new stuff and sing along even though you > can't > hear your own voice, because it's not that type of music anymore. There are > no more Thunder Roads for Springsteen to find, only 41 shots for him to riff > on. > > > Except, that is, for about one month every year, when radio stations hide > Born in the U.S.A. or The Rising and pull out a dusty track that hasn't been > played in 11 months. > > > Roy Bittan starts by tickling the piano to conjure bells, and the crowd > roars in hysterical approval. Clarence Clemons does his best impersonation of > > Santa Claus and then, beautifully, Springsteen comes in with the simple words > > we've all memorized on the notes we all know are coming, yet somehow feel > fresh > every year: "You better watch out/You better not cry/Better not pout/I'm > telling you why." > > > Then it's the crowd's turn, a reincarnation of the call-and-response > Springsteen uses in all of his live shows now. It doesn't matter if you're > in the > car alone or if you're surrounded by thousands at the Stone Pony in Asbury > Park; you yell, "Santa Claus is coming to town!" as loud, as hoarsely and > with as > much holiday fervor as you can. Max Weinberg ratchets up the percussion, > Miami Steve croons in the background, Clarence solos on the sax-it's > familiar, > but invigorating. > > > It's the best Christmas song of all time, because it captures the spirit of > the holiday season. Find the bells and let loose. Embrace the company of > others. And for goodness sake, fuhgeddabout the Jersey sneer, and be > thankful the > state is, indeed, not a glorified parking lot. > > > We have, after all, given even the naughtiest of you the gift of Springsteen. > > ================================= > > Happy Thankshallowistmas > > > > > **************Make your life easier with all your friends, email, and > favorite sites in one place. Try it now. > (http://www.aol.com/?optin=new- dp&icid=aolcom40vanity&ncid=emlcntaolcom00000010) > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AsburyPark/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AsburyPark/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
