The embers are glowing inside the ashes
The new growth is sprouting through the parched earth
The flowers are blooming behind the bushes
When this jewel is polished we’ll see its real worth
People are coming to watch the sparks fly
There’s an electric excitement in the air
The new faces stare in wonder as they pass by
We just tell ‘em we always knew it was there.
This town’s coming back, I’m seeing it firsthand
If you’re not seeing it you’ve got your head in the sand
The visionaries are making their stand
This town’s coming back and it’s gonna be grand
Too many decades broken down and beat up
The one place in the county everyone loves to leave
It got so bad that we finally got fed up
So we acted and the old way got upset and upheaved
Now it’s the aftermath of the revolution
But at least the malaise is now in the past
There may not be any easy solutions
But there’s new blood that’s ready to kick some real ass.
This town’s coming back ...
Take a look around and see things moving
Open your eyes and pay it some mind
Tell me what else needs proving
If you don’t see it happening you’re either stupid or blind
Well you can scoff and scorn to your heart’s desire
But we tell you it’s the beginning of the upward trend
Form where we are we can only go higher
And we’ll be the ones laughing in the end.
This town’s coming back ...
©2023 The Hesh Inc.
Asbury Park, where else? For decades we prayed to see the city's fortunes turn around. By the mid-2000s, we began to see it happen. It's far less than perfect, but if nothing else, the beach, boardwalk, and downtown areas are all but teeming with people, throughout the year.
For decades I wrote songs about how the city was on a downward spiral to the slag heap (see "Convention Hall"), but now it's time to look at the dawn of redemption from the exile.
The theme was better expressed in "Paramount Theatre (This Is No Dream)" on the second album, but this song was one of the earlier attempts to capture the feeling. So it remains an outtake from the Soul In Exile canon.