MatR/RotD: Bruce Springsteen and Jimmy Fallon: Gov. Christie Traffic Jam

“Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee.”  — Email from Bridget Ann Kelly to David Wildstein, August 13, 2013

On the first day of school in 2013, the world’s busiest bridge came to a halt.

Two of the George Washington Bridge’s three access lanes in Fort Lee, New Jersey were shut down for no reason, and the resulting traffic jams caused hours-long delays–up to four hours for many–for harried commuters and schoolchildren.

Did I say no reason? Oops, that’s not quite right. I meant no good reason.

Because someone was using the bridge closure to send a message, and that someone was New Jersey’s republican governor Chris Christie, as retribution for the refusal of Fort Lee’s mayor to endorse the governor’s reelection bid.

(The message actually came from members of Christie’s administration, who Christie readily threw under the bus as details of the scandal came to light. No evidence ever incontrovertibly linked Christie’s involvement to the incident.)

By early 2014, “Bridgegate” was a national scandal. Americans watched in outrage and schadenfreude as the true story unfolded, and Christie went from respected presidential hopeful to the butt of late night comedians’ jokes.

One of those comedians was Jimmy Fallon, who carped the diem when Bruce Springsteen joined him on his show on January 14 to promote his new album, High Hopes.  By that time, Bruce had already made two tongue-in-cheek appearances with Fallon covering songs like “Whip My Hair” and “Sexy and I Know It,” but this time the pair did a rewrite on one of Bruce’s own songs.

And not just any song. They rewrote “Born to Run” in light of recent events (I suspect Fallon and his team did the heavy lifting) and opened the show with Fallon doing his best 80s Bruce impersonation. Before long, though, the real Springsteen (in classic 80s getup) joined him at the microphone.

“Gov. Christie Traffic Jam” became an immediate viral sensation, thanks to the timeliness of its subject matter. the biting cleverness of its lyrics…

In the day, we sweated out on the streets, stuck in traffic on the G.W.B.
They shut down the toll booths of glory ’cause we didn’t endorse Christie
Sprung from cages on Highway 9, we got three lanes closed, so Jersey get your ass in line
Whoa, maybe this Bridgegate was just payback, it’s a bitch slap
To the state Democrats, we got to get out but we can’t
We’re stuck in Governor Chris Christie’s Fort Lee New Jersey traffic jam

Governor, let me in, I want to be your friend. There’ll be no partisan division
Let me wrap your legs around your mighty rims, and relieve your stressful condition
You got Wall Street masters stuck cheek to cheek with blue-collar truckers
And, man, I really gotta take a leak; but I can’t,
I’m stuck in Governor Christie’s Fort Lee, New Jersey, traffic jam

Highways jammed with pissed-off drivers with no place left to go
And the press conference went on and on
It was longer than one of my own damn shows!
Some day, Governor, I don’t know when, this will all end
But till then, you are killing the working man
Who’s stuck in Governor Christie’s Fort Lee, New Jersey, traffic jam

…and of course the very fact of its subject’s well-known status as a Springsteen uber-fan, with over 140 concerts under his belt. I imagine Christie must have had mixed emotions watching that performance on television that night.

The scandal would play out for another two years, with Christie aides and appointees David Wildstein, Bridget Ann Kelly and Bill Baroni eventually all found guilty for their roles.

As for Christie, he remained in office for the rest of his term, flamed out quickly in a 2016 presidential bid, and spent the years since as a registered lobbyist, occasional Trump advisor, and frequent television commentator.

Christie left office in 2018 with an 81% disapproval rating, the lowest in New Jersey history, goosed in some small part by the good-natured ridicule of New Jersey’s favorite son.

But at least for Christie, there were no hard feelings. On his first day as a private citizen again, he spent it seeing Springsteen on Broadway.

Gov. Christie Traffic Jam
First performed: January 14, 2014
Last performed: January 14, 2014