‘R.I.P. Jon Stewart (Why’d Ya Go Ahead & Die?),’ Sean Altman

by JAY LUSTIG
SEAN ALTMAN

SEAN ALTMAN

No, Jon Stewart is not actually dead. But on Feb. 11, the day after he announced his upcoming retirement from Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” the Lawrenceville native and current Red Bank resident addressed the media’s reaction to the news by saying, on “The Daily Show”: “Last night I was perusing the Internet, and I guess my question to you is, did I die? ‘Cause it all seems very, ‘I died.’ ”

Certainly, his fans — accustomed to watching him every night on television, for years — felt like someone had died. Inspired by this, singer-songwriter Sean Altman — best known as a former member of the a cappella group, Rockapella — recorded a fast, catchy tribute song, “R.I.P. Jon Stewart (Why’d Ya Go Ahead & Die),” that is probably not unlike some of the more pop-oriented music Stewart heard in his days as a bartender at the Trenton rock club, City Gardens.

Check it out below. Perhaps it will help you in your own grieving process.

New Jersey celebrated its 350th birthday in 2014. And in the 350 Jersey Songs series, we marked the occasion by posting 350 songs — one a day, from September 2014 to September 2015 — that have something to do with the state, its musical history, or both. To see the entire list, click here.

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1 comment

Mr. Record February 20, 2015 - 4:38 pm

he was good for this era, especially post-911. It will never play in a few years as the political deadlock fever will have to break at some point, leading to other avenues of comedy and parody.

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