Blog: O’Malley walks the line

Blog: O’Malley walks the line

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As expected at his inaugural celebration Wednesday night in Baltimore’s 5th Regiment Armory, Martin O’Malley took the stage as his alter-ego, the leader of the O’Malley’s March band.

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake made a cameo appearance in a piece of mock persuasion to give the governor to pick up his guitar.

Still in his suit and tie, but sleeves unbuttoned, O’Malley kicked off the four-song set with a country song he sang in tribute to his wife, Katie: Johnny Cash’s “I Walk the Line.”

“I keep a close watch on this heart of mine
I keep my eyes wide open all the time
I keep the ends out for the tie that binds
Because you’re mine, I walk the line”

Watch a bit of his performance here:

O’Malley clearly was no reluctant performer, directing the band members and dancing around the stage, even bump dancing with his violinist on one tune.

O’Malley closed the set with his rendition of a traditional Irish-American song, “The Streets of Baltimore” – his lyrics about leaving Ireland behind for “the hope of Baltimore.”

—Len Lazarick
Len@MarylandReporter.com

About The Author

Len Lazarick

len@marylandreporter.com

Len Lazarick was the founding editor and publisher of MarylandReporter.com and is currently the president of its nonprofit corporation and chairman of its board He was formerly the State House bureau chief of the daily Baltimore Examiner from its start in April 2006 to its demise in February 2009. He was a copy editor on the national desk of the Washington Post for eight years before that, and has spent decades covering Maryland politics and government.

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