Benny & Tillie
by DJ Doornob
I don't like dirty water,
Or the smell of landfills.
Over bridges overlooking
The dank Arthur Kill.
I'm driving south on the Parkway,
Over New York state lines.
I'm heading to a little beach town
Just off 35.
Check into the local motel
While the sun brightly shines.
I give a smile to the "Welcome"
On the water tower sign.
Pick up some fliers from the lobby,
Or the corner grocery store.
Promises of vacation
Down the New Jersey Shore.
I see the lights of the boardwalk.
I see the rides and the games.
I've got a pocket full of quarters,
From the boardwalk arcade.
Stop to buy a slice of pizza
While the P.A. system sings
The beat of the summer
And boardwalk bell rings.
The ocean waves crash with thunder
Beneath the Casino Pier.
Electric flows through the floor boards,
Excitement pumps through the air.
I smell the sweet scent of nostalgia,
The happy memories of youth,
Emanating from the Skee-Ball,
And black and white photo booth.
Now it would seem the Summer's over.
The tourists gone away.
The souvenir shop's been demolished.
The amusements in decay.
As I walk along the boardwalk
I swear the ocean seemed to sigh.
In the rain-soaked, stormy, night-time,
The pavilions seemed to cry.
Now all have is a postcard
With no movement or sound.
But you can still hear the echo
Of the rides and the crowd.
All the evidence of grandeur
Now left cold in the dark.
And all that's left is a ghost town
In old Asbury Park.
