Big Parade | Henry Street Ale House | 68 Jay Street | Fulton Ale House
Alright @YouTheReader,
Everybody knows the rules, 8th month of Pint&Pen&Paper calls for the 8th tune off The Lumineers’ debut album. Big Parade is a bit more cheery than some of their slower songs, but ladies & gentlemen, they did it again with this one. It’s another one of their songs that I always enjoyed before but once I dug a bit into the lyrics I was amazed by the story.
This is a 5 & a half-minute tune with 5 different scenarios from all walks of life that the singer views from a cynical perspective. They use a political candidate, beauty queen, prize fighter, catholic priest, and rock & roll singer to represent how much of life is a “Big Parade” or charade.
This opening Chorus is important to keep in mind for the end of the song. I was blind, now I see is an Amazing Grace reference to keep in mind.
The singer is depicting a scene of black armored limousines you’d see at a parade for a president. They are emphasizing that the government has to show force of their own in order to protect their citizens. Cynical view on things, yes, but also kinda true, no?
When I hear “the candidate blue-eyed boy,” I think they are referring to President John F. Kennedy due to the parade, limos, and fact that most of this album seems to be set in the 1960s. JKF in real life had greenish/brownish eyes but in general “blue-eyed boy” according to Cambridge is an idiom for a boy or man who is liked very much and is treated well by someone, especially someone in authority. So here instead of viewing the young vibrant candidate as hope, they see somebody who grew up with favoritism. Cynical view on things, yes, but also kinda true, no?
On top of that, even though all the precautions were taken with the fleet of black armored limos and the show of force was put on, the assassination still took place, making all the security efforts seem hollow. Cynical view on things, yes, but also kinda true, no?
Next up are the beauty queens with diamonds wearing white gloves. The diamonds represent the materialistic things that we are supposed to care about but are really just plastered together to make look nice. The white gloves symbolize innocence, but it’s fake innocence. Although these beautiful women look pageantry worthy from their appearance, in reality, they were out the night before and sick to their stomachs on the inside. Cynical view on things, yes, but also kinda true, no?
At every parade, you see marching bands and barricades. Marching bands are the fun involved at the parade but the singer has to include the barricades which are there to prevent chaos. Cynical view on things, yes, but also kinda true, no?
Here they are going at sports and boxing in particular. Boxing can be viewed as a bloody ballet dance between two people in a ring. There is also the gambling aspect to this where the singer is mentioning how the competition or sports can are fixed. The boxer, “Louie,” needs to take a dive meaning loses on purpose or the bookie will raise hell. You could go down a whole rabbit hole about whether sports could be fixed because of all the money involved. Cynical view on things, yes, but also kinda true, no?
If the boxer doesn’t lose, he’ll be out of a job. Most athletes come from humble beginnings and have to really make something of themselves to become professionals. The fact that even a self-made person can still be controlled by fear or bribery is an indicator of corruption. Cynical view on things, yes, but also kinda true, no?
Now they’re bringing up a Catholic priest who’s in love with a woman. Catholic priests are expected to devote themselves to the Church or religion. The priest the singer is talking about is choosing love over religion. This one doesn’t seem all that negative compared to the others but there is the fact that he is breaking an oath. Cynical view on things, yes, but also kinda true, no?
The man of faith is leaving all that he believed in for his fiancee. Unlike most of these, the singer here emphasizes that they should let him love.
American Bandstand used to be a TV show that aired from 1952 until 1989. It was MTV before MTV and no not MTV today which has been straight-up trash for 2 decades. When American Bandstands first started, I’m assuming it had a ton of doo-wops, and by the time show ended, the electric guitar was prominent, implying the evolution of music. There is a lot of vanity that comes along with the flashing lights of fame. While the rock & roll artists are singing for the lonely, the groupies that know every word by heart are meeting up with them after the show. Cynical view on things, yes, but also kinda true, no?
A ton of cynicism in this tune but I did tell you it was a bit cheery and to remember the opening chorus.
They reiterate the beginning [Chorus 1] and then close out Big Parade by the singer saying he once was blind but now he sees thanks to his saving grace. Someone or something came into his life that gives the singer a different perspective. Buring the car could mean shedding the charade of what got him here while keeping the plates (your identity) symbolizes keeping with you the good & bad that makes you, you. I see The Lumineers’ Big Parade as a song about how it is okay to be skeptical of things but not let it let you lose sight of the bigger picture.
Great tune with deeper meaning, am I right? The Lumineers are class. On to the pints…
Guinness Challenge Season #1
@Kids don’t try this at home. Not just because you’re underage and will have plenty of pints to drink if that ends up being your thing when you’re older but also because Guinness is actually best served in a pint glass from a tap. A pint of Guinness varies depending on the drinking establishment. If the keg it sits in is rarely poured, it can lead to some underwhelming taste. Rather than stealing gimmicks, I’d like to start taking Notes while drinking Guinness. My grandfather from Connemara, who I never got the chance to meet, Thomas Davis, used to drink pints and by all accounts was a self-taught thinker. The one rule I’ve imposed on myself is that I will only have 1 pint per sitting from each establishment I review, so @AnyoneWorrying, don’t worry about my drinking habits. The Guinness Challenge is to “cut the G” on your first sip (more like a gulp and a half). If this is your first time hearing about it, I didn’t come up with the fun challenge @YouTheReader can try the next time you have a Guinness. The 0.0 to 10.0 scale will be extraordinarily nuanced but as a reference point, the only perfect 10.0 I plan ever to give out is at the Guinness Factory in Dublin one day.
Song On In The Background: Saturday Sun by Vance Joy
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: Eugene is the manager of the Ale House on Henry Street. He was a gymnast and loves it. “I still try to find an adult gym whenever I have a chance.” Sign that reads “Drinking can cause memory loss… or even worse, memory loss” behind the bar. The Ale House serves KCBC Pilsner and they have old-school beer logo patches hanging up from 20 years ago all over. Local and tourist spot because it’s close so close to the Brooklyn Bridge. The fried chicken sandwich is exceptional. Hazy IPAs such as the Finback Rolling is being drunk in the crowd next to me.
While they do serve a nice pint of Guinness, Henery Street Ale House also serves craft beer as well such as KCBC. Kings County Brewers Collective Pilsner is brewed in Brooklyn. Located just a short walk from the Brooklyn & Manhattan Bridge, Henry Ale House is a beer lover’s dream and a cool hang. They’ll have sports on their TVs if you’re trying to catch a big game while having the option of 16 different taps or a large variety of canned and bottled beers. They take pride in sticking with a classic, old-school ambiance serving a wide assortment of beer, wine, and spirits along with pub food. I look forward to grabbing another pint at Henry Street Ale House again soon!
68 Jay Street (@Instagramless68JayStreet) 5/5 ‘23
Service & Staff: A+
Guinness: 5.5 (Can + No Pint Glass)
Guinness Challenge: N/A
Song On In The Background: Sand People by Ashes to Amber
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: Happy Hour Monday to Friday until 7 pm where they have $6 Stella’s & Brooklyn’s, $7 house wines, and $7 well drinks. Neighborhood bar. Some people from Brooklyn are something else, cool and very nice people but something else compared to Manhattan. Awesome how every borough has its own culture. Bar’s bar. The bartender is busy so I’m riffing if you can’t tell. One of the Brooklynites has “no digital presence. Social media is scary.” Well, he’s not wrong!
Located in the historic Grand Union Tea Company warehouse, 68 Jay Street is a nice local bar with very reasonable prices. It is extremely laid back. I couldn’t help myself but ask the PGA Tour to get Patrick Cantlay a golf cart, I should have taken in the 68 Jay Street ambiance and chilled out. This bar is just steps away from the East River, I got to walk along it for a bit which was nice until I figured out I was going the wrong way. Look out for a Stumlin’ Along at Grand Union Tea Company and I’m looking forward to grabbing another pint at 68 Jay Street Bar again soon!
Song On In The Background: N Dakota by Parquet Courts
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: Dive bar and sports bar. Cam is the bartender. “Regulars come in a ton, there are not a lot of sports bars in the area.” On Mondays, Fulton Ale House shows Jeopardy with the sound on, and afterward, they host trivia. “It can get rowdy.” Bills bar, the owner is from Buffalo. They got through the pandemic with the help of their regulars who Cam thought should be Noted for their graciousness. Cam also works for Ebbs Brewery which brews its own beer at Citi Field. They have a few locations and Cam worked at Citi Field for a bit but now is at Williamsburg. He’s a Mets & Bills fan and grew up in Montclair, New Jersey. Loves Brooklyn. Fulton Ale House has an outdoor patio with a grill shed. Bar’s bar but on football Sundays, they have Johnny Lupiani grill on game days. They have a rare Buffalo Braves banner hanging up. Cam gave me a shot of Jamo on the house, much appreciated!
Established in ‘17, Fulton Ale House is already the best sports bar in their neighborhood! They are so dedicated to sports that they are showing the Team USA vs Portugal World Cup Match tonight at 3 AM. If and when we advance, you better check out their Instagram for more details. Their Jeopardy and Trivia Nights on Mondays also seem like a fun time. Members of Bills Mafia just won the last drunk mini-camp trivia night, so go prepared. Really cool spot and I had a cool conversation with Cam. Their outdoor patio area would be nice for a nice brisk fall football Sunday. Fulton Ale House is a great Bills Bar for Brooklynites, I hope they have a ton of fun this fall and play well, just not too well - Go Jets! I look forward to grabbing another pint at Fulton Ale House again soon!