Abalene [Glen Burtnik]

Abalene
Written by Glen Burtnick, Martin Briley 
Lead Vocals by Glen Burtnick

Statue of Liberty 1979
I stood in the crowd and thought the whole world was mine
Oh, here’s a drink to the innocence gone by
And oh, here’s to how hard we tried
But it meant nothing at all
I held on but I kept on falling

Oh Abalene, who can say what might have been
I’m going thru what only you could know
Whoa Abalene

I always get the feeling when I hear your name
I’ve been walking thru the narrow streets in my dreams again
Oh if we could only start over once again
Then oh, would we still come to this end
Up against a frozen wall - out of breath and always calling oh Abalene

Oh Abalene, who can say what might have been
I’m going thru what only you could know
Whoa Abalene

No matter where I’m wandering
No matter where I go
All I keep remembering, all I know is you
You won’t let me go
And now I’m calling out - calling out
Reaching for something to hold that reminds me of you

Oh Abalene, who can say what might have been
I’m going thru what only you could know
Whoa Abalene

Interpretation

In 1979, Beatlemania ended it's run on Broadway in New York City. Glen played the part of Paul McCartney. At that time, his music career was ahead of him.  Fast forward to 1987, making his second solo album after brief stints with Hammer and Helmet Boy, Glen is looking back at what might have been.  Perhaps he worked a brief stint with Abalene Plumbing in Long Island or envisioned that it might have been his fate? We would need Glen to tell us for sure. Fortunately for lovers of Glen's music, he stayed in the music industry.