Baseball related songs: “Subway” by Jim Nuzzo

In today’s episode of Baseball related songs, we pay attention to Subway by Jim Nuzzo. To many Dutch baseball fans (including myself) this will be an unknown song. The song is about the New York Subway Series, a name for the World Series between New York teams, which happened a lot during the golden age of baseball (1940s and 1950s).

Nuzzo has entertained the New York area during the 70s and 80s as member of bands like Distinguished Company, Raritan, and Network. In 1984, Jim moved on solo. Probably Jim will be best known for “Coming Home” which he wrote for the movie Rude Awakenings.

Jim Nuzzo wrote the song Subway in 1990 as a trip to memory lane. Many of the World Series in the 1940s and 1950s were played between the New York Yankees and he New York Giants / Brooklyn Dodgers.

subway-series-1 It was not quite a coincidence that the song “Subway” became a baseball classic during the 2000 World Series between the New York Mets and the New York Yankees. During that World Series, the New York subway released special tickets to be used on the subway lines that led to Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium.

The lyrics of the song are as follows:

I remember my Daddy talkin’ ’bout the days gone by
When he started talkin’ baseball I could see a look in his eyes
I could reach out and I almost could touch
His cherished memories I had longed for so much
But he told me it could never happen again.

Daddy raved about the Yankee Clipper, the things that he’d done
Ebbets Field and the Polo Grounds, Jackie Robinson
Bobby Thomson’s shot heard ’round the world
And the perfect game Don Larsen hurled
But the told me it could never happen again

Chorus:

I’m gettin’ on a subway tonight
I’m headin’ to the stadium, that’s right
The city’s gonna och tonight as we make history
Can’t you smell the hot dogs, taste the beer,
Take me back in time to yesteryear
I wouldn’t trade this ticket for the world oh not today
I’m getting on the subway

Daddy tell me ’bout the “Boys of Summer”, the rivalries
And the ballyard in the Southern Bronx, October dynasties
But then the saddest days remembered by most
When the other teams left for the coast
And they thought that it could never happen again

Repeat Chorus:

Daddy, Daddy what you doin’ tonight
I got an extra ticket, just say alright
Cause we both know that this may never happen, never happen again

Repeat Chorus:

The song is the title track of Nizzo’s album with the same name. Even though the song is written in 1990, its style is much like the 80s pop/rock songs.