On Thursday the state legislature will consider a bill proposed by Mayor-elect Marty Walsh – while still serving as a Representative – to ring in a new official state song of Massachusetts. And that song is…wait for it…drum roll please… Roadrunner by The Modern Lovers!
Anticlimactic, I know.
Co-sponsored by Walsh and state Senator Bob Hedlund, the bill was filed back in February and will be brought before the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight on Thursday at 10:30 a.m.
But while this has been the most publicized and supported tune to represent the Commonwealth and all of its melodious glory – you can check out its Facebook fan page here – it faces some stiff competition.
Bills were also filed by the state Rep. duo of James Cantwell (D-Marshfield) and Josh Cutler (D-Duxbury) to make Aerosmith’s Dream On the official song, as well as one by fellow Rep. Thomas Stanley (D-Waltham) to make the 14 Counties of Massachusetts, as recorded by the 3rd grade class at Our Lady’s Academy in Waltham, the formal Bay State ballad.
The common theme amongst all of the aforementioned songs and/or bands is, of course, their direct ties to Massachusetts. The only striking difference between the three options is that the first two are contending for “official rock song of the commonwealth” whereas the latter is vying for “official county [sic] song of the commonwealth.”
Look, I’m not picky whatsoever when it comes to music. I like it all; from MJ to JT (James Taylor, that is), Led Zeppelin to Les Miserables show tunes, you throw it over the speakers and I’ll feel that beat like whoa. And then I’ll start to sing and dance along.
That being said I have to contend that the three choices laid hence before us, Massachusetts, are pretty weak. Sure they’re all deeply rooted in our fair state, but we have a chance here to show the rest of the country how serious our harmonic chops truly are. They’re out of style and out of touch with the generation poised to lead the state in the imminent future, and they don’t epitomize the sheer nature of Massachusetts. At least, not anymore.
So to help you better understand what I’m talking about, below are the songs filed per the State House bills followed by some suggestions of BostInno’s own. Let us know what you think.
From Mayor-elect Walsh and state Senator Hedlund:
From state Representatives James Cantwell and Josh Cutler:
And now for the better BostInno picks. Courtesy of an office-wide survey, it was deduced that the following choices ought to be considered:
Massachusetts by Ylvis
Boston by Augustana
Massachusetts by The Bee Gees
Maryland, Massachusetts by Nelly
Massachusetts by Ra Ra Riot
And of course, pretty much anything by the Dropkick Murphys. Anyone interested in attending the Thursday hearing at 10:30 a.m. is more than welcome. Keep in mind that other legislative matters are slated to be discussed, but if you call the Committee office there’s a chance they could help escort you around to narrow the timeframe, (617) 722-2140.
Be sure to submit your own ideas and thoughts in the comments section below. Happy listening!
