So, right before we all became lead actors in the the real-life Corona Virus movie we seem to be living in right now, I was in Chicago on business. It was the tail end of winter, and the universe decided to gift me one glorious 50 degree day. What did I do? I Ferris Beuller’d it, ya’ll! Crammed as much into those balmy 24 as I could. And thank goodness I did, because Lord knows when I’ll be able to leave my house again. Walking along Michigan Avenue, I couldn’t help but reflect on how much Chicago contributed to the pop culture of my youth…
Back in the day when I was but a girl/ Chicago was the place that was the center of my pop world/ That’s kind of hard for a proud NYC chick to say/ ‘Cause you know we think of our 5 boroughs as the apex of the USA
We were known for Wall Street, thin slice, Hip-Hop/ #45 when people mistakenly thought he had a brain/ And we could have probably rivaled Miami and Medellin/ With our excessive use of Cocaine (it was the 80’s, y’all! And I’ve recently been watching Narcos.)
But then there was Chicago, the epitome of cool/ Michael Jordan’s in yo’ face dunks at the United Center/ Leaving his opponents in a puddle of their own drool
Thank goodness for the Bulls and the Bears/ Cause the White Sox and Cubs were a flop/ 88 and 108 years since world series victories/ Still had the love of their fans, though winners they were not
The Untouchables was my movie/ DeNiro killing it as Capone (“Enthusiasm”)/ Elliot Ness riding around the majestic city/ Chasing gansters who refused to be outdone
Oprah. That’s it. Period. Do I need to say anything more?!
And by the way, the city was founded by a Black man. No rhyme here, just thought that was friggin’ cool!
I thought it must be awesome working for the Chicago Tribune/ Which is where Siskel had his byline/ He and Ebert would go at it as they critiqued movies/ They were like a bickering, human Rotten Tomatoes of their time
But as is always the case, things change…
No more journalism at the neo-Gothic Tribune Building/ Luxury condos are coming to every floor/ I suppose this shouldn’t be that much of a surprise/ No one really reads newspapers anymore
Oprah has moved her company from near the Lakeshore/ To the sun and entertainment soaked West Coast/ Cubs won the World Series after 108 years/ That change might have shocked me the most
A sports crazed but often segregated city/ Where baseball has been divided along neighborhood lines/ And the further west and south you get of Lake Michigan/ You feel as if you’re living through an episode of Good Times
The North Side can be so ritzy/ While parts of the South lag behind, underdeveloped and sad/ But I suppose that’s what’s so compelling about great cities/ Ya gotta take all the good with the bad.
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