It is a strange mix of themes ranging from the American West to the ballads and jigs of Celtic ancestors that somehow seems to make sense in the musical world Jack Hardy has created. And it is a separate world to which the listener is transported; a timeless place inhabited by tinkers and cowboys, saints and sinners, elves, virgins and crones. From his extensive travels and reading he has forged an endearing non-academic approach to literature, one that is more at home in the pub than in the classroom. "He clearly seems to enjoy making his listeners think. He may dare his audience to figure out what he is saying, but he also credits them with the intelligence to do so" (Tom Nelligan, Dirty Linen, 1998).
In Europe, where Hardy has toured extensively for over 20 years, he is accepted as an ambassador for American music. In an Italian encyclopedia of rock Jack has a larger entry than many prominent rock stars.
"Nothing adventuresome is created in a vacuum," Jack says, "you get people together and the creative sparks fly." The weekly songwriters workshop which he has hosted for many years taught and nurtured countless songwriters, not the least of which are Suzanne Vega, John Gorka, Shawn Colvin, Richard Shindell and David Massengill. The Fast Folk Musical Magazine, which he founded and edited, released the first recordings of most of the artists currently headlining folk festivals. This collection of over 100 compilation albums has now been taken over by the Smithsonian.
Gregarious and outgoing when talking about his songs and songwriting in general, Jack fiercely guards the privacy of his personal life. Jack Hardy was born in Indiana, his father a musician, his mother a painter. He grew up in New York, Colorado, and Connecticut, studied opera and literature in college.
In 1998, Prime CD reissued his first ten albums in a box set as well as his eleventh album The Passing. In 1996, BCN Records released a tribute album The Songs of Jack Hardy: Of the White Goddess, a collection of his Celtic ballads (all sung by women). In 1997, Jack was the recipient of The Kate Wolf Memorial Award, given yearly to "an artist who makes a difference through his music" by the World Folk Music Association. In 2000, Prime CD has released Jack's twelfth album Omens.
Omens was recorded live to 24 track analog in two days, using the vintage recording equipment of Prime CD's Theater 99 recording studio in New York City, with no overdubs. The fourteen songs range from the uptempo Celtic "Sile na gCioch" where a tinker finds a dress on the side of the road and gives it to a young lass, to the majestic "West of Dingle" where a woman faces a choice between her lover and her fiddle; from the biting barrage of juxtaposed media images of "I Ought to Know" to the romantic ballad "Only One Sky" and back to the uptempo humorous Clancy Brother-ish "The Boney Bailiff." This album takes you on quite a musical voyage with some of Jack's best poetic imagery, but it is the sweeping beautiful melodies that carry these songs directly into your memory. The players include Jack's current touring band: Tom Duval on electric guitar and harmony (also heard on Jack's albums The Hunter and Civil Wars), Mike Laureanno on Hofner bass and harmony, Dave Anthony on Drums (also heard on Jack's album The Passing), and Kate MacLeod on fiddle. The album also features a buried bonus track containing 19 minutes of Suzanne Vega interviewing Jack on the subject of songwriting. Hardy's 16th album, Rye Grass, arrived on Great Divide in 2009. Jack Hardy passed away on March 11, 2011.
source and more infos: http://www.jackhardy.com/
The Halloween Parade
Jack Hardy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Down through the tunnel of love
A school bus in day glow colors
Filled with bygone hippie stuff
Don't laugh, your daughter might be inside
The officer laughs anyway
Don't ask, don't tell, it is just as well
You're heading for the Halloween parade
Here between the police barricades
They won't stop the Halloween parade
They won't paint the line green, the mayor isn't here
There won't be any cuts in aid
There won't be no military fanfare
But it has the blessings of several popes
Jesus carrying his own damn cross
Or carrying just enough rope
Chorus:
Here on the Avenue of the Americas
Larger than life, behind makeup and mask
Everything America is afraid of
Is lost in a ritualized hell
All so the children won't ask
All so we won't have to tell
It's the yearly meeting of the never-minds
The artists and actors and clowns
On this night and this night only
It is the only show in town
We're all of your worst nightmares
We're all of your wildest dreams
The pagans and gays the specter of aids
In a riot of color and screams
It's the morning after the night before
Hanging with the leftover leaves
Deflated balloons and streamers
In the thin arms of the dying trees
There is an awkward silence
As awkward couples come and go
Looking sadly at this boulevard
Wondering if and when they'll know
In Jack Hardy's song, The Halloween Parade, the artist paints a vivid picture of the annual Halloween celebration that takes place on the Avenue of the Americas in New York City. He captures the essence of this trippy, colorful and jubilant event and how it stands as a symbol for a new era of expression, creative freedom, and social acceptance.
Hardy highlights the contrast between the ordinary and the extraordinary that takes place during the parade. For instance, he mentions a "school bus in day-glow colors, filled with bygone hippie stuff," suggesting that the parade is a channel for the free-spirited, anti-establishment vibes of an earlier era. He also observes, "Here on the Avenue of the Americas, larger than life, behind makeup and mask, everything America is afraid of is lost in a ritualized hell." The lyrics suggest that the Halloween parade is an opportunity for people to shed their inhibitions, explore their fears, and express themselves in ways that are not always possible in everyday life.
The song's chorus, "All so the children won't ask, all so we won't have to tell," appears to refer to the fact that the Halloween Parade is an inclusive space for people of different backgrounds, preferences, and identities to come together to celebrate. Essentially, it's a space for people to be who they are without fear of judgment or rejection. The song suggests that this kind of freedom is necessary as an escape from the everyday drudgery and a chance to let loose.
Overall, The Halloween Parade by Jack Hardy is a song that celebrates the spirit of the annual festival in New York. It speaks to the transformative power of creative expression and encourages us to celebrate our collective freedoms that allow us to be who we truly are.
Line by Line Meaning
Over the Pulaski Skyway
Traversing over the Pulaski Skyway bridge
Down through the tunnel of love
Passing through the tunnel of love, a cheesy roadside attraction
A school bus in day glow colors
A brightly colored school bus
Filled with bygone hippie stuff
Carrying relics from a bygone era of hippie culture
Don't laugh, your daughter might be inside
Do not laugh because your daughter could be on the bus
The officer laughs anyway
The officer laughs even though it is not funny
Don't ask, don't tell, it is just as well
Do not ask questions and do not reveal secrets as it is for the best
You're heading for the Halloween parade
You are on your way to the Halloween parade
Here between the police barricades
Here between the barricades set up by the police
They won't stop the Halloween parade
The parade will not be stopped by the authorities
They won't paint the line green, the mayor isn't here
They will not mark the parade route green and the mayor is not present
There won't be any cuts in aid
There will not be any cuts to financial aid for the parade
There won't be no military fanfare
There will be no military-style celebration
But it has the blessings of several popes
But it has received approval from several popes
Jesus carrying his own damn cross
Depiction of Jesus carrying the cross he was crucified on
Or carrying just enough rope
Perhaps he's carrying enough rope to hang himself
Chorus:
Refrain
Here on the Avenue of the Americas
Here on the Avenue of the Americas in NYC
Larger than life, behind makeup and mask
The people in the parade are larger than life and dressed in costumes
Everything America is afraid of
All the things America fears
Is lost in a ritualized hell
Is lost in a hellish, ritualized display
All so the children won't ask
All so children don't ask difficult questions
All so we won't have to tell
All so we don't have to explain things
It's the yearly meeting of the never-minds
It's an annual gathering of the unconventional and free-thinking
The artists and actors and clowns
The event includes artists, actors, and clowns
On this night and this night only
Only on this night and no other
It is the only show in town
It's the only event happening
We're all of your worst nightmares
We embody all the things you fear most
We're all of your wildest dreams
We also represent your wildest dreams
The pagans and gays the specter of aids
The parade includes pagans, gays, and those affected by AIDS
In a riot of color and screams
In a chaotic display of color and noise
It's the morning after the night before
The day after the parade
Hanging with the leftover leaves
The decorations from the parade are still hanging around like leftover leaves
Deflated balloons and streamers
The balloons and streamers used in the parade have lost their air
In the thin arms of the dying trees
Hanging off the branches of the trees that are beginning to die
There is an awkward silence
A strange and quiet atmosphere
As awkward couples come and go
As awkward couples come and go
Looking sadly at this boulevard
Regretfully observing this street
Wondering if and when they'll know
Wondering if and when they'll ever be a part of the parade
Contributed by Nicholas O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.