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Song Parodies -> "Living For the Suburbs"
Original Song Title:
"Living For the City"
(MP3)Original Performer:
Stevie Wonder
Parody Song Title:
"Living For the Suburbs"
Parody Written by:
Michael Pacholek
The Lyrics
I've never done a Stevie Wonder song before. Or, as Stevie himself might say, "You haven't done nothin'!" Time to do it. Route 3 goes from western Essex County through Clifton, past the Meadowlands Sports Complex and into the Lincoln Tunnel to New York.
A boy is born in Cedar Grove, New Jersey.
His parents thought the city had no mercy.
So he's not raised, like they had been, in Newark.
They think it looks and smells just like a sewer.
Living just enough, just enough for the suburbs.
His father gets on bus that goes down Route 3.
"I want a job that just will not commute me."
His mother wonders, does he do his duty
or chase the copy girl with the nice round booty?
He makes just enough, just enough for the suburbs!
His sister's stacked, she goes to junior college.
She'll get degree, but she won't get no knowledge.
She's at the mall, parks her Cutlass Ciera.
She's dressed just like Christina Aguilera.
Showin' just enough, skin enough for the suburbs!
His brother's white, but his words are so rappy.
At Willowbrook, he buys some clothes so crappy.
He works so long, overtime at the Wawa.
Works like a dog, that Taco Bell Chihuahua.
Making just enough, just enough for the suburbs!
From his home town, he can see New York City.
The twinkling lights, to him they look real pretty.
He's almost dead from his suburban boredom.
But city rents, he never will afford 'em.
Making just enough, just enough for the suburbs!
I hope you hear inside my voice of yawning
insipid tales of garage sales and lawning.
Another Sunday here in Pleasant Valley.
But he still wants a hooker in the alley!
He don't get enough, get enough in the suburbs!
His parents thought the city had no mercy.
So he's not raised, like they had been, in Newark.
They think it looks and smells just like a sewer.
Living just enough, just enough for the suburbs.
His father gets on bus that goes down Route 3.
"I want a job that just will not commute me."
His mother wonders, does he do his duty
or chase the copy girl with the nice round booty?
He makes just enough, just enough for the suburbs!
His sister's stacked, she goes to junior college.
She'll get degree, but she won't get no knowledge.
She's at the mall, parks her Cutlass Ciera.
She's dressed just like Christina Aguilera.
Showin' just enough, skin enough for the suburbs!
His brother's white, but his words are so rappy.
At Willowbrook, he buys some clothes so crappy.
He works so long, overtime at the Wawa.
Works like a dog, that Taco Bell Chihuahua.
Making just enough, just enough for the suburbs!
From his home town, he can see New York City.
The twinkling lights, to him they look real pretty.
He's almost dead from his suburban boredom.
But city rents, he never will afford 'em.
Making just enough, just enough for the suburbs!
I hope you hear inside my voice of yawning
insipid tales of garage sales and lawning.
Another Sunday here in Pleasant Valley.
But he still wants a hooker in the alley!
He don't get enough, get enough in the suburbs!
You think this was easy? You try rhyming something with "suburbs."
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User Comments
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Michael, on politics we're more than a few neighborhoods apart. Thank goodness for baseball, good ole rock & roll, and parodies about growing up in Jersey. In these I find a common ground with you. I was born in Newark, grandparents lived in Union, the old man was from Irvington - but fortunately I grew up in Morris county. In Essex, half an hour after a snowfall, all the snow would start turning black from the soot. and car exhaust. Coulda been worse - Coulda been Elizabeth or Secaucus.
Yes, it could've been worse. "Secaucus" is hard to rhyme, except maybe with "Ho-Ho-Kus" or "really late bus." Morris County? Yikes, Frelinghuysen country, no wonder we're miles apart. Jim McGreevey for President 2012!
Just curious, Michael - Is there another Frelinghuysen in politics, or is this the same guy who represented Morris way back in the 60's?
I'll resist the partisan temptation to criticize your knowledge of political history or lack thereof. Frederick Frelinghuysen was a NJ delegate to the Continental Congress and an early U.S. Senator, 1793-96, beginning a dynasty that continues to this day. His son Theodore was a Senator, 1829-35, helped build the Whig Party, served a term as Mayor of Newark, and was the Whig nominee for Vice President in 1844, running with Henry Clay. He was also President of what was then Rutgers College from 1850 until his death in 1862. Frederick T. was a Senator, 1866-77, and Secretary of State to Presidents Garfield and Arthur, 1881-85. Joe was a Senator, 1917-23. Peter served in the U.S. House, 1953-75, and is probably the man you're thinking of. He was succeeded by Dean Gallo, whose death in 1994 led to the election of Peter's son, Rodney, who's still there. Quite a family. Too bad they're all Federalist/Whig/Republican toadies of big business.
Thanks for the info, Michael. Regarding your comment though, while politics is interesting to me, it isn't my driving passion in life. I left Jersey in 1970, and live three thousand miles from there, so I really don't follow your local politics with any more than a passing glance. Any interest I still have in New Jersey is purely pizza-related.
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