Ryan Doyle Song strikes a chord with redevelopment opponents
Lyrics question reason for city pushing forward with eminent domain
BY CHRISTINE VARNO
Staff Writer
LONG BRANCH — Residents of the city are reaching out to their fellow citizens who could lose their homes to redevelopment.
"We have received an inconceivable amount of support, especially from the citizens of Long Branch," said Denise Hoagland, whose Ocean Terrace home is in the area designated as Beachfront North Phase II in the city’s redevelopment plan. She is part of a group that has organized in opposition to the plan.
"I’ve received letters, [newspaper] articles and papers on the history of Long Branch. I’ve received an array of stuff," Hoagland said.
Among the array was a compact disc labeled "Song for the People of Beachfront North." The song was written and recorded by Ryan Doyle of Patton Avenue.
"I work real close to where the construction is going on," the 25-year-old waiter said. "After reading articles in the paper, it really affected me that something like this could happen so close to me."
The song captures the stories of the residents living in the area. It criticizes the city for what it is doing and asks Mayor Adam Schneider not to take the homes.
Ryan, said performs as part of a duo and as a solo artist at various venues including the Brighton Bar, Brighton Avenue, said he recorded the acoustic song to tell the Phase II story — the story of the residents’ fight for their homes.
Doyle said that writing a song usually takes a couple of weeks, but he finished this tribute in just one afternoon.
"This song just came from another place," Doyle said.
The lyrics are straightforward:
They say you can’t beat the eminent domain.
When the city wants your bed, they take it.
So for the good of the community
Mayor Adam Schneider wants to knock down my home
And put up million dollar condos.
I ask you, mayor, what community are you living in?
"I haven’t lived in Long Branch too, too long, but it seems the mayor is trying to make it into something it is not," Doyle said. "He says he is trying to make a community, but he is taking the community out of the city."
Hoagland said she thinks Doyle is an amazing young man.
"He truly captured what is going on," Hoagland said. "He put the words together and made a beautiful song. He heard what we have been saying."
Doyle plays the guitar and piano. He is a member of The Stoves, a duo folk-rock band, but this recording was a solo performance. He said he usually doesn’t write politically driven songs, but this one was different.
The song concluded, I can bet Mayor Schneider and [planning consultant Pratap] Talwar already got the first stones in their hands
Smashing windows for their promised land. I ask you, mayor, what future are you thinking of
Where you strip us of our dreams where there is so much love.
Song for Beach Front North
