"The Downeaster Alexa" - Long Island Modern Folk Song [+Lyrics]

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"The Downeaster Alexa was originally written and performed by Billy Joel, and released in 1990. Written from the perspective of a struggling fisherman from eastern Long Island, the song describes how he is finding it increasingly hard to make ends meet and keep ownership of his boat, a downeaster named Alexa. The song brought attention to the challenges these fishermen faced and the hard work they put into their jobs. The term Baymen refers to the fisherman specifically of Long Island's bays. Runoff polluted the bays, pushing many of the baymen to fish out into the deep ocean. This version was performed by the US Army Field Band.

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The flag displayed is a proposed flag for Long Island, designed by Cesidio Tallini. The flag is used in pro-Statehood movements for Long Island.