The 2002 Billy Hector album, “Busy Man,” includes his home-state anthem, “Back to Jersey.”
On any given night, there’s a good chance that Billy Hector is performing at some New Jersey nightclub. And if that is so, there is an even better chance that he’s doing something dazzling.
The singer-songwriter-guitarist — originally from Orange but based on the Shore for most of his career — has been a mainstay of the state’s blues-rock scene since the ’70s, developing a devoted following with his fiery playing, earthy singing and simply eloquent songwriting. Below is his heartfelt home-state anthem, “Back to Jersey,” from his 2002 album, Busy Man.
“New York is great, man, I gotta unwind/Get back home, get some peace of mind,” he sings in one verse, “Subway’s crazy, the whole world’s in such a hurry/I took the PATH train south, went back home to Jersey.”
New Jersey celebrated its 350th birthday from Sept. 2014 to Sept. 2015. And in the 350 Jersey Songs series, we marked the occasion by posting 350 songs — one a day, for almost a year — that have something to do with the state, its musical history, or both. The complete list is here.