Song Meaning

Steve Forbert's “Strange Names (North New Jersey's Got Em')” isn't just a geographical tour; it's a wry observation on the human tendency to normalize the absurd. The litany of oddly-named New Jersey towns – Parsippany, Whippany, Succasunna – becomes a mantra, a comedic device highlighting the arbitrary nature of place and identity. Forbert isn't merely listing locations; he's subtly poking fun at the way we build our lives around these linguistic quirks, these 'strange names towns' that become the backdrop to our daily dramas. The repeated lines, 'Your cool local spot may or it may have not,' suggests the sameness lurking beneath the surface of these unique locales. The song's playful tone masks a deeper point about belonging and regional identity. By emphasizing the unusual names, Forbert is also celebrating the unique character of North New Jersey. The constant movement – 'I'm from Piscataway, I'm going that-a-way' – underscores a restless spirit, a desire to explore and experience the full spectrum of this strangely-named landscape. It's a journey not just across a map, but through a cultural landscape defined by its oddities. Even the repeated 'Oh, h-ho ho' refrain feels like a shared inside joke, a knowing acknowledgment of the region's inherent strangeness. Ultimately, the song meaning in "Strange Names" resides in its gentle subversion of the familiar. We often seek significance in the places we inhabit, imbuing them with personal meaning. Forbert cleverly exposes the underlying absurdity of this process, suggesting that sometimes, a place is just a place, defined by nothing more than a funny-sounding name. And perhaps, there's a certain freedom to be found in that realization, a lightness that allows us to appreciate the humor and unexpected beauty of the everyday.