Love and trains are two favorite subjects of rock songwriters, and Matawan-based singer-songwriter and keyboardist Arlan Feiles writes about both in his “Jersey Coast Line,” released as a single in 2013.
The title refers to the train that takes him to the Jersey girl waiting for him: “I ride that Coast Line/It takes me home/That girl gonna be mine/Say no more/I’ve got to go down to the Jersey Shore.”
It’s a simple but catchy song, helped immensely by Feiles’ earnest, soulful delivery and a chugging, train-like beat. Check it out below, along with some actual footage from a trip on NJ Transit’s North Jersey Coast Line.
New Jersey celebrated its 350th birthday last year. And in the 350 Jersey Songs series, we are marking 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. We started in September 2014, and will keep going until late in the summer.
If you would like to suggest any songs to be included, please let me know in the comments section underneath the video. And if you want to see the entire list, either alphabetically or in the order the songs were selected, click here.