Rock 'n' roll may be in Mass. to stay, legislators eye 'Roadrunner' as official song
It’s getting pretty crowded on the Massachusetts state symbols list, what with state rocks, state animals (from whales to horses to birds), a state dinosaur, a state fossil and seven songs officially designated to represent the commonwealth - from a polka and a ceremonial march to an ode and a glee-club ditty.
If two legislators have their way, Sen. Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, and Rep. David Linsky, D-Natick, that list of diverse songs and musical genres could soon swell with a new addition, an officially designated rock ’n’ roll song.
Contenders? A cursory search of Massachusetts and Boston specific lyrics resulted in some 35 songs that could qualify including some surprises - the Norwegian band Ylvis of “What Does the Fox Say” fame put together a song and video: “Massachusetts.”
The Dropkick Murphys, unsurprisingly, have at least three songs that could qualify as a rock ’n’ roll tribute to the Bay State. Named for a legendary football player turned wrestler, boxer and coach, John “Dropkick” Murphy, who ran a boxing camp out of his home in the 1950s and ‘60’s, the band sings “I’m Shipping up to Boston,” “Tessie” and “State of Massachusetts.”
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones have two songs: “They Came to Boston,” and “I Want My City Back,” while the Bee Gees also have two: “Massachusetts,” and “The Lights Went Out in Massachusetts.” There’s even a song called "MTA," written and performed by the Kingston Trio, all about a man called Charlie who rides the T eternally (many commuters might empathize).
Which one was put forward by the legislators? “Roadrunner” by the Modern Lovers (at one time, Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers).
The song, a teenage tribute to riding around in cars through the suburban night, was first proposed a decade ago by then Rep. Marty Walsh, D-Boston. Not to be upstaged, former Rep. James Cantwell, D-Marshfield, introduced legislation that proposed the honor be conferred on Aerosmith’s “Dream On.”
Head-to-head, "Roadrunner" seemed a shoe-in. Richman was born in Boston and grew up in Natick, the lyrics reference local highways and stores, and the singer proclaims he’s “in love with Massachusetts.”
While a powerful rock ballad that embodies perseverance and a rags-to-riches tale, “Dream On” pales in comparison. It has no Massachusetts roots. No Bay State lyrics. No local references.
Cantwell has left state government since first proposing the song and is now the state director for U.S. Sen. Ed Markey.
7 official songs and maybe 8
If enacted, Massachusetts will have eight official songs, close to Tennessee’s 10 songs and one official rap. New Hampshire has two official state songs and eight honorary songs. New Mexico has designated five official songs, one bilingual in Spanish and English, one just in Spanish. Oklahoma also has five, one an official children’s song, another a gospel number. Montana’s three songs include an official lullaby.
Maryland dumped its official song, designated in 1939, just two years ago due to its controversial lyrics (it alluded to former President Abraham Lincoln as “the tyrant” and was used across the Confederacy as a battle hymn).
Decades of attempts in New Jersey to designate an official state song - Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run,” was the frontrunner - were in vain. New Jersey lacks a state song.
Massachusetts efforts to designate a rock ’n’ roll song fell by the wayside unfinished, as Walsh was elected mayor of Boston. Cantwell left the Legislature in 2018.
More: Should ‘Roadrunner’ be the state’s official rock song?
More: 'Roadrunner' vs. 'Dream On': The battle continues!
The push to enrich Massachusetts’ state symbols has been dusted off. And if the Legislature cannot come to an agreement on a specific song, maybe it could designate an official Massachusetts playlist, the first one in the nation.
But really, "Roadrunner," albeit almost 50 years old, holds up well. And who doesn’t like driving with the radio on?
All Hail Massachusetts, is the official state song. Arlo Guthrie's "Massachusetts" is the official folk song, Lenny Gomulka's "Say Hello to Someone in Massachusetts," is the state's official polka. The glee-club ditty, "The Great State of Massachusetts," penned by a Worcester politician and businessman George A. Wells, was written for the 1960 Democratic Convention, the one where John F. Kennedy was nominated for the presidency, The state's ceremonial march is "The Road to Boston", and the state's official ode is "The Ode to Massachusetts" by Joseph Falzone, a Suffolk Downs worker, known for his one-man band on the East Boston parade circuit. Last but not least: the patriotic song: "Massachusetts, Because of You Our Land is Free," with words and music by Bernard Davidson, a Dorchester businessman, local politician and lifelong city resident.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Massachusetts eyes rock 'n' roll tune to add to official pantheon
