Tad Richards' odyssey through the catalog of Prestige Records:an unofficial and idiosyncratic history of jazz in the 50s and 60s. With occasional digressions.
I was courting a woman just about my age Truth is, she was a divorcee After just one date, I knew we shared the same level Of cultural literacy. She liked long walks and art films and Mozart for breakfast And she knew what keepin' fit meant There was just one trouble with this West Side angel A deep-seated fear of commitment. So one night after a Castelli opening I asked if she'd be my bride I said "What would it take to win your hand?" And this is what she replied:
"Bring the Dodgers back to Brooklyn If you want me to be your wife I want Erskine pitching and Campy catching And Carl Furillo in right, I want to see Duke Snider hit one more Into Bedford Avenue, When they yell 'Play ball!' at Ebbets Field, That's the day I'll marry you."
We saw eye to eye on most everything, Me and that divorcee, We liked Walt Kelly and Kurosawa And Billie Holliday. We knew if they'd 'a listened to Oppenheimer Things wouldn't 'a turned out so badly. They should have pardoned the Rosenbergs! They should have elected Adlai! But every time I tried to turn the conversation To questions of the heart, She was all cooked into this baseball dream And it was tearin' us apart.
"Bring the Dodgers back to Brooklyn And never more I'll stray I want to see a Reese to Robinson To Hodges double play. I want to see Jackie stealin' home And Preacher Roe juicin' that ball. Bring the Dodgers back to Brooklyn, Or I won't marry you at all."
They say baseball's the greatest obsession of all, And it sure seems that way, I told her I'd buy her a box at the Met, She said. 'I hate it out at Shea.' I told her I'd sign a pre-nuptial agreement But she didn't want to merge I tried again at the Harmonic Convergence But she didn't want to converge. I swore I'd never give up the chase But I knew the time had come When they were playin' Philip Glass at the Symphony Space And I heard her start to hum,
"Bring the Dodgers back to Brooklyn I want to see Cal Abrams run, Give me one more chance to see Billy Loes Lose a ground ball in the sun. Now you may think I'm just another crazy Brooklyn Dodger fan, But I'll see the Dodgers back in Brooklyn, Before I'll trust another man."
Dear Tad:
ReplyDeleteI LOVE IT! You've captured the Spirit of '55!
Jeff Minde
PS:
ReplyDeleteCan you post the complete lyrics?
Jeff Minde
Here you go....
ReplyDeleteI was courting a woman just about my age
Truth is, she was a divorcee
After just one date, I knew we shared the same level
Of cultural literacy.
She liked long walks and art films and Mozart for breakfast
And she knew what keepin' fit meant
There was just one trouble with this West Side angel
A deep-seated fear of commitment.
So one night after a Castelli opening
I asked if she'd be my bride
I said "What would it take to win your hand?"
And this is what she replied:
"Bring the Dodgers back to Brooklyn
If you want me to be your wife
I want Erskine pitching and Campy catching
And Carl Furillo in right,
I want to see Duke Snider hit one more
Into Bedford Avenue,
When they yell 'Play ball!' at Ebbets Field,
That's the day I'll marry you."
We saw eye to eye on most everything,
Me and that divorcee,
We liked Walt Kelly and Kurosawa
And Billie Holliday.
We knew if they'd 'a listened to Oppenheimer
Things wouldn't 'a turned out so badly.
They should have pardoned the Rosenbergs!
They should have elected Adlai!
But every time I tried to turn the conversation
To questions of the heart,
She was all cooked into this baseball dream
And it was tearin' us apart.
"Bring the Dodgers back to Brooklyn
And never more I'll stray
I want to see a Reese to Robinson
To Hodges double play.
I want to see Jackie stealin' home
And Preacher Roe juicin' that ball.
Bring the Dodgers back to Brooklyn,
Or I won't marry you at all."
They say baseball's the greatest obsession of all,
And it sure seems that way,
I told her I'd buy her a box at the Met,
She said. 'I hate it out at Shea.'
I told her I'd sign a pre-nuptial agreement
But she didn't want to merge
I tried again at the Harmonic Convergence
But she didn't want to converge.
I swore I'd never give up the chase
But I knew the time had come
When they were playin' Philip Glass at the Symphony Space
And I heard her start to hum,
"Bring the Dodgers back to Brooklyn
I want to see Cal Abrams run,
Give me one more chance to see Billy Loes
Lose a ground ball in the sun.
Now you may think I'm just another crazy
Brooklyn Dodger fan,
But I'll see the Dodgers back in Brooklyn,
Before I'll trust another man."