Not bad for a tune that mentions a neighborhood, South Detroit, that doesn't exist. Perry later covered for this by inserting the name of every single stop the band made on its endless 1980s touring schedule — even "Shreveport." Again, I'm not making this up. When Journey played a cowbarn in my hometown called Hirsch Memorial Coliseum, we were name-checked like clockwork.
Now the song belongs to television history.
"It puts our feet in the cement," Journey keyboard player Jonathan Cain said this week. "We're a staple in the American music culture. Like us or not, we're here to stay."
But, what did this final scene, you know ... mean?
Many appear to be counting on an as-yet unannounced Sopranos movie to subsequently explain things, and the soundtrack seemed to bolster that theory: "Some will win, some will lose," Perry offered. "Some were born to sing the blues. Oh, the movie never ends. It goes on and on and on and on..."
There is some truth there, even if a sequel isn't in the offing.
"The Sopranos" finale, to me, challenged us to once again accept the mundane, open-ended nature of our own lives — and that goes for mobsters, too. Some, in fact, will win — and some will lose. But we know little about how that all will turn out.
In the meantime, there are smaller joys, like a jukebox and its perhaps disposable heroes. Not to mention video games that demonize groupies and evil promoters.
Article comments
1 - Pico
Probably the next words out of Steve Perry's mouth after "All right!" was "Cha-ching!" ;&)
2 - d alper
As I wrote in a Times reader column last week, the Journey song was integral to the storyline but most watchers(listeners) missed what I thought Chase really wanted to get across. When Tony walked into the Diner, Little Feat's All That You Dream was what we were being exposed to on the soundtrack. That song would probably never take up space on a Diner jukebox(too esoteric). Therefore, I would argue that that song was not being played for the characters in question in the Diner, it was a mis en scene by the writers/director. Yes it home the point that Tony's dream of leading a semi normal life free of the violence and neurosis that plagued him throughout these ten years might be coming to a head. That he can indeed sit in a Diner like the rest of us and enjoy the little things in life(i.e. onion rings)without the prospect of being assassinated at any instant. We the audience were the ones projecting the imminent horrors, not the character Tony Soprano- he seemed more calm and relaxed then we'd ever seen him! As Paul Barrere of Little Feat wrote on the Last Record Album in one of his best loved songs:
"I've been down but not like this before
can't be round this kind of show no more
all that you dream
comes through shining silver lining
and clouds clouds change the scene
rain starts washing all these cautions
right into your life,make you realize
just what is true, what else can you do?
just follow the rule
keep your eye on the road thats ahead of you...
all the good times were ours
in the land of milk and honey
and time, time adds its scars
rainy days they turn to sunny weather
livin' the life livin' the life, lovin' everyone.."
Come to think of it WHAT A POSITIVE note Chase chose to end on- Journey notwithstanding!