The cover of the 1979 Blondie single, “Union City Blue.”
The gritty 1980 movie “Union City” failed to launch Debbie Harry — better known as the frontwoman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band Blondie — as a serious actress. But it did inspire Harry to co-write (with Blondie bassist Nigel Harrison) “Union City Blue,” a moody, mysterious pop song from the 1979 Blondie album, Eat to the Beat.
“Union City Blue” was released as the second single from Eat to the Beat (following “Dreaming”) and was only a minor hit, though the band did film a video for it — not in Union City, but in nearby Weehawken. You can check it out below.
Though Blondie is considered one of the quintessential New York bands, Harry grew up in Hawthorne, graduated from Centenary College in Hackettstown and even danced at a go-go bar in — you guessed it — Union City before her musical career took off.
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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