New York State Of Mind

The funny thing is that I never thought of myself as particularly enamoured of America, or at least the United States thereof. But I have visited several of the 48 contiguous mainland states, and I've tasted life there in the West, the East and the Middle (or is that the East, the West and the Midwest?) and Tennessee (I guess that's South, or is it 'mid-South'?)

But I miss New York the most, I think. Its amazing variety of peculiar life, deep history and melting-pot culture continues to inform and surprise me. It was the gateway to America for many people, many peoples; it continues to be one of the maybe two or three greatest cities of the world.

Part of it, I suppose, has to do with people like Billy Joel. Part of it has to do with odd stuff like this: a cheat-sheet to life in NYC. The only other city I've met which has enough depth for a multi-cultural mythology of its own is London, and that isn't fair because it was probably a Stone Age settlement along the Thames, occupied by wave after wave of immigrants or invaders.

Well, here's Mr Joel's take on his hometown:

Some folks like to get away, take a holiday
From the neighborhood
Hop a flight to Miami beach or Hollywood.
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 the 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 Riverside
I don't have any reasons, I've left them all behind—
I'm in a New York state of mind.

Well, there you have it.