The Story of 115 Hyde Park Avenue with (VIDEO)

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This is the story of the song, 115 Hyde Park Avenue

A card table covered with a clean white cloth in a storefront in Hyde Park where the great young minds of Tampa gathered to discuss Beethoven and Krishna Consciousness down the street from the university and about a mile across the bridge from the County Jail in downtown Tampa.
Ybor City Piano Man, Rev Ralph, former Left Banke singer, Steve Martin-Caro, the surrealist painter, Raphael Diaz, Cosmic Dave who was just cosmic, the author of The Final Spin, the Great Waybon John Hearing and tunesmith Ray Galindo. poring over volumes of Machiavelli, Poe and the Life of Bach. Feasting on Greek Wine, goat cheese and Irish Soda Bread AND the Bösendorfer Baby Grand standing like a monument in the middle of the room.
115 Hyde Park Avenue ... A ritzy address to say the least!

It was a beautiful evening in 1984 in Hyde Park, Tampa, and Jennifer and I decided to take a walk. We found ourselves on Kennedy Blvd where we ran into Rev. Ralph. He was hanging out with Steve Martin-Caro and his wife Heather. They had just landed at Tampa International Airport from Ohio a couple of days prior. Ralph introduced Steve to me as the guy who had sung the 60's hit, Walk Away Renee by The Left Banke. Steve seemed displeased with the way he was introduced to me and reacted by saying, "Aw, Ralph, I told you not to tell anybody!" Steve seemed a bit anxious and all he really wanted was to smoke the what seemed to be elusive joint. 








115 Hyde Park Avenue
Here is a breakdown of the lyrics
'I live at 115 Hyde Park Avenue" This is the address of one of the many storefronts that Ralph Ferrera rented in the mid-1980s. The last time I checked, it was a hemp products store. They continued the tradition! "a ritzy address to say the least" When I told Ralph that I was writing a song about his storefront, and I read to him some lines that I had, he added this line. "Right down the street stands the university" 115 Hyde Park Avenue is down the street from the University of Tampa. I had written the line, 'where I got my degree', which wasn't true. Ralph changed the line to... "from which I was released" More satire from Ralph
"I hang out with my pals on Hyde Park Avenue planning tomorrows for today"
Ybor City Piano Man, Rev Ralph, former Left Banke singer, Steve Martin-Caro, the surrealist painter, Raphael Diaz, Cosmic Dave who was just cosmic, the author of The Final Spin, the Great Waybon John Hearing and tunesmith Ray Galindo always talking about things we were going to accomplish and never did. "Right up the road stands the penitentiary" The Hillsborough County Jail on Tampa Street "where I got my degree" Another witty line from Ralph
"Early morning...I rise shining...On the Bayshore" Jennifer (MacDuffee), who was my girlfriend at the time, and I used to get up early on some mornings and take a walk, and sometimes jog on Bayshore Boulevard.
"I wouldn't be surprised if I saw you there...ooh hoo" Directed to the listener
"I live at one-fifteen Hyde Park Avenue a ritzy address to say the least"
And again, This was Ralph's address. I did not reside there, but I did a lot of living there. "Up on the hill lives the aristocracy" Bayshore Boulevard is lined with mansions and estates including the historic home once known as the mysterious 'House of Many Colors and Billy Carter's (Jimmy's brother) home. "where I got my disease" Yet another witty line from the ever clever Ralph
Early morning...I rise shining...On the Bayshore I wouldn't be surprised if I saw you there...ooh hoo
All you learn is there on Hyde Park Avenue What you earn is there on Hyde Park Avenue All you earn is there on Hyde Park Avenue
What you learn is there on Hyde Park Avenue

(Galindo/Ferrera/MacDuffee)
Credits are in the videos

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