There she stands
Like a castle made of sand
Rising from the strip of land down by the sea
Like an ancient marine
Palace of a dowager queen
Straight out of a fairy tale or dream
She calls out to me
The city’s been restored to its rightful place
After decades being kept down
Now people come from far and wide to see her beaming face
And pay homage to the jewel in her crown
The days are past
When her nobility was downcast
But she endured and outlasted the adversity
And now she shines
Gleaming and polished up so fine
With a countenance so divine for all eternity
Pilgrims come from the ends of the earth
To hear the music played in her halls
To bear witness to the magnificent rebirth
To see majesty standing tall
This is no dream
All you have to do is will it
This is no dream
It is up to you to fulfill it.
Sit inside
You’re overwhelmed with pride
The visionaries haven’t lied or merely said sooth
The seats are full
Thanks to new prestige and pull
Thanks to the Most Bountiful, and that’s the truth
The famous faces have returned
And so have the sold-out crowds
It is so good to see how the tide has turned
And to hear her praises sung aloud
To hear her name mentioned once more
In the same breath with the best
She radiates her glory onto the whole shore
And like her, may we all be blessed
This is no dream ...
This is no dream
It is a part of your very soul
This is no dream
To see your days renewed, as of old.
©2007 The Hesh Inc.
The Paramount Theatre is the inland component of the Paramount/Convention Hall complex on the boardwalk in Asbury Park, and just as the Paramount adjoins Convention Hall on the ocean side, this song is a companion piece to the song "Convention Hall" that appears on Soul In Exile 1 and 3.
"Convention Hall," the song, was about a marriage falling into decay, told metaphorically as the magnificent old building as it falls into decrepitude. However, this song, "Paramount Theatre," is the flip side of that: imagining the city, as well as all the hopes, dreams, and desires embodied in it, being renewed and once again vital.
I wrote the song when the city was poised on one of its many verges-of-comebacks in the late 1990s. I was not ashamed to appropriate Biblical and Zionist imagery to depict Asbury risen from its hell years. Mind you, this was well before its current ballyhooed renaissance, which remains incomplete even though it is encouraging. I'd like to say I foresaw these better days and take some credit, but many others deserve it before I can claim it.
It was recorded in 2002 for the Soul In Exile 2: Jersey Shore Baby sessions, and was released officially five years later.
(A bit of historical trivia: my second wedding took place in the theater's mezzanine in November 1996, two days after The Boss performed there.)