New York State Of Mind

今天出門上班前想聽聽老一點的西洋流行樂，便想起New York State Of Mind，一首收錄在Billy Joel於1976年發表的專輯Turnstiles中的經典歌曲。它在911事件之後成為歌頌大蘋果的非正式主題歌(Post-911 Anthem of New York)。

Turnstiles的原意是在地鐵或捷運入口的那種十字轉門，或許也帶有轉捩點的味道。當時被譽稱青年才俊的Billy Joel在前一張專輯經歷過並厭倦西岸陽光的軟式搖滾及五光十色洗盡鉛華後("Say Goodbye to Hollywood")，帶著謙遜的態度省視自己過去，並以全新態度展開新生活期許("New York State of Mind")。我習慣反覆聆聽這張專輯，很喜歡那種內容架構具凝聚力、情緒一氣呵成的感覺。儘管後幾年推出的The Stranger與52nd Street更具野心也為Billy Joel帶來更大的商業成功，Turnstiles那種質樸真摯內心話的風格一直更能吸引我。對了，911發生幾天後我就在自己公寓門邊貼上這首歌詞來勉勵自己繼續堅持下去。單對這首歌來說，沒有親身住過紐約的朋友可能會比較難立即了解這首歌所嘗試表達對一個城市的認同與圓融心境吧。

New York State Of Mind
Billy Joel

Some folks like to get away
Take a holiday from the neighborhood
Hop a flight to Miami Beach
Or to Hollywood
But I'm taking a Greyhound
On the Hudson River Line
I'm in a New York state of mind

I've seen all the movie stars
In their fancy cars and their limousines
Been high in the Rockies under the evergreens
But I know what I'm needing
And I don't want to waste more time
I'm in a New York state of mind

It was so easy living day by day
Out of touch with the rhythm and blues
But now I need a little give and take
The New York Times, The Daily News

It comes down to reality
And it's fine with me 'cause I've let it slide
Don't care if it's Chinatown or on Riverside
I don't have any reasons
I've left them all behind
I'm in a New York state of mind

It was so easy living day by day
Out of touch with the rhythm and blues
But now I need a little give and take
The New York Times, The Daily News

It comes down to reality
And it's fine with me 'cause I've let it slide
Don't care if it's Chinatown or on Riverside
I don't have any reasons
I've left them all behind
I'm in a New York state of mind

I'm just taking a Greyhound on the Hudson River Line
'Cause I'm in a New York state of mind

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備忘 -- 其他有關紐約的歌曲不勝枚舉，底下是我知道並比較喜愛的:
Autumn in New York (Ella Fitzgerald)
I Guess The Lord Must Be In New York City (Harry Nilsson)
Sidewalks of New York (Duke Ellington)
New York Minute (Don Henley)
New York on My Mind (John McLaughlin)
New York New York (Frank Sinatra)