Connecticut legislature moves towards adopting official state punk song

Alexis de Tocqueville Award winner for the week:

State of the Song Will Connecticut Be The First State To Adopt An Offical Punk Song? March 29, 2007 By Adam Bulger Connecticut’s official songs and dances are pretty bland. The state’s official anthem is “Yankee Doodle,” a song originally sung by British soldiers to mock Americans during the French and Indian War. Our official folk dance is the square dance, the L7-ness of which is embedded in the name.

Currently, two bills are being considered by the state government that would shore up our state’s musical heritage. Proposed Bill No. 5328 is also known as “An Act Concerning the State Polka.” Ansonia native Peter J. Danielczuk, a radio DJ who hosts polka shows on Bridgeport’s WDJZ 1530 AM and WNHU 88.7 FM, has been lobbying members of the legislature to make “Ballroom Polka” the state’s official polka song.

An instrumental written by the late polka songwriter and Windsor native Ray Henry in the mid ’60s, “Ballroom Polka” has evidently become a standard for polka musicians.

“It was written by one of the all-time greats that just happens to be from Connecticut. It’s a standard in the polka field. It’s a great song, with a very lively beat. It’s very appropriate,” Danielczuk said.

If the bill passes, Connecticut would be the second state in America to adopt an official polka. Massachusetts adopted “Say Hello to Someone from Massachusetts” as its official polka in 1998. With 8.3 percent of the state claiming Polish heritage in the 2000 federal census, Connecticut has the third highest percentage of Polish American residents after Wisconson and Michigan, neither of which have an official polka song.

The polka song proposal led to another music-related bill. When State Planning and Development Committee Clerk Eric Stroker heard the bill, he decided Connecticut needed to be the first state to adopt an official punk-rock song.

“I’m dedicated to the idea of expanding the scope of how government looks at youth and culture,” Stroker said.

The song he’s proposing, “Connecticut Fun” — recorded in 1983 by an informal, ad-hoc group of Connecticut punk musicians recording under the name Punkestra — is pretty much the least offensive song recorded under a punk banner except for maybe the Chipmunk Punk album. It’s unabashedly pro-Connecticut, with lyrics imploring listeners to come out and enjoy punk music in the state.

Stroker is cautiously optimistic about the chances for his idea.

“I think people see the merit in it … but I don’t know if they are going to support it,” Stroker said

As a graduate of Longy Institute of Music in Cambridge, Mass., State Representative Diana Urban (D-Stonington, North Stonington) is uniquely qualified to judge the merits of “Connecticut Fun.” Her verdict: “It’s hilarious.”

“We can move something like this through the legislative process, and it gives us a chance to step back and giggle a little. I’d love this to be the state punk-rock song. If you can’t step back and have a little fun, then you’re taking yourself too seriously,” Urban said.

She said she will give a bill to adopt the song her qualified support in light of the more pressing matters the legislature needs to handle. “Would I seriously fight to get this punk-rock song as the official song of the state of Connecticut? Of course I wouldn’t,” Urban said.

According to Incas Records owner Joe Snow, who recorded the song in 1983, the song captures a seminal moment in Connecticut punk.

“The recording of that song was probably the single most unifying moment in Connecticut music history,” Joe Snow said.

Via Dave Barry, of course.

The question is, if you were to write a Punk Song about the great State of Connecticut, what would the lyrics be? Tom P. (South Windsor and West Hartford)? Gary (I'm going to go out on a limb and guess Enfield)? Keith S. (Ridgefield)? Resident Connecticut hater and general all-around mad-scientist and former punk Shawn (Concord, NH)? Scott "Really, I aint no serial killer" Peterson (Simsbury)? Uncle Lou (East Lyme), Uncle Joe (Stonigton & Niantic), Gramps (Groton)? The original LLamabutcher himself (Essex)? Take it away!

Personally---and this is just me talking here (East Lyme & Middletown)---when I mash the thoughts of "Connecticut" and "official state punk song" together, what pops out is "Beige Sunshine" by the Dead Milkmen:

Beige Sunshine

Cheese is the one thing that's indestructable

How much of your Blue Cross is deductable?

Open your eyes to a wicked surprise

You'll lose your mind if you just step inside

They say even Bambi was corruptible

The flu's coming, yes are you susceptible?

If only traces of lead were detectable

Open your brain to a new kind of pain

Just step inside and we'll all go insane

Please put your thoughts inside a receptacle

You are not one of us your pipes are leaking

You are an ocelot what are you seeking?

Baboons they say say are quite interesting

Ships without rudders aren't wort commanding

Open your skull to a world that is dull

You'll find it all when you shop at the mall

People like you are not worth reprimanding

I think you need some help

I think you're way off course

Maybe you need a little breather

You should get down off your horse

Look up into the sky

Try to catch your racing thoughts

Before they burn up in the sun

Take a walk

Sit in your walking chair and breathe...

Welcome to your head

Tripping on Wonder Bread

Peer into the edge of time

See the endless light

Realize there is no time

There is only light

Feel the heat of the moment

Feel the heat of the now

Feel the heat of the beige sunshine

In the back of your mind, and breathe...

Because, let's face it: any punk song that begins with deductability questions involving Blue Cross/Blue Shield just screams Connecticut.

UPDATE:

This is for you, Shawn: never let it be said I can't toss a Moonbat some love.