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Historic fire truck inspires Brady Rymer’s latest song

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It’s not often that North Fork families get an invitation to appear in a Grammy-nominated artist’s music video, but that’s exactly what will happen this Monday in Greenport. 

On Monday, Southold’s own Brady Rymer will film the video for his new song “It’s A Beauty,” which was inspired by a 2015 Suffolk Times cover story about the effort made by Greenport Fire Department members to restore a 1933 Mack truck.

“I just really loved the story,” Mr. Rymer said. “I thought it would be a really cool story for a kid to hear how something in the old days was doing its job, then they lost track of it and didn’t think it had any worth. And then a couple people take it out and shine it up, put some work into it and now it has a new job.”

Last year, while Mr. Rymer was reading the article, he stopped at a quote from a fireman that read, “It’s a beauty.” He instantly knew the line would be the chorus of his next song, so he grabbed his guitar and began to write.

When Mr. Rymer was nearly finished recording the song, he visited the Greenport firehouse and asked if members would sing the chorus “It’s a beauty, it’s a beauty” for him. It took a little nudging, but they eventually agreed.

“They were one-take wonders,” Mr. Rymer recalled this week.

The 83-year-old truck took more than two years to restore and most of the work was performed by four fire department members. Bob Jester, one of the key players, said he thinks Mr. Rymer’s new song is great. His voice is one of those featured on the track’s chorus.

Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Brady Rymer says he wrote 'It's A Beauty' because he found the Greenport Fire Department's restoration effort inspiring. (Credit: Randee Daddona)
Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Brady Rymer says he wrote ‘It’s A Beauty’ because he found the Greenport Fire Department’s restoration effort inspiring. (Credit: Randee Daddona)

Mr. Jester said he was pleasantly surprised Mr. Rymer was so inspired by the story that he would write a song about it.

“It adds another dimension to the truck,” he said. “People see it with a little bit different eyes after they listen to the song and I just think it is so great for kids. I can’t wait to let my grandsons hear it.”

Mr. Rymer, a two-time Grammy nominee best known for his hit children’s songs “Love Me For Who I am” and “The Little Band That Could,” said he appreciates how much the firemen are enjoying “It’s a Beauty.”

“It was just fun to be inspired by the story and the biggest thrill for me is when the firemen said, ‘Yeah we like that song,’ ” he said.

Now that fire department members are involved in his project, Mr. Rymer wants the community to get in on it. The music video for “It’s a Beauty” will be filmed at the town’s annual Memorial Day parade in Greenport. Mr. Rymer said he is looking for families and kids who want to be extras in the video to attend the parade and possibly sing the song’s chorus.

“Hopefully it will be a nice day, and just to get that atmosphere of the parade and Memorial Day here in a small town on the North Fork would be a great thing to show,” Mr. Rymer said.

Mr. Rymer and his wife, Bridget, said the firemen did an amazing job restoring the truck and they are happy it will be featured in the video.

They aren’t alone: Mr. Jester and other Greenport Fire Department members are also excited.

“Those types of things tend to give the truck a different life and make it even more important to the members of the community,” Mr. Jester said. “It’s my hope that they really maintain the truck and that it’s here for many, many years after all of us are gone.”

Top Photo Caption: Volunteers restored Greenport Fire Department’s 1933 fire truck, Ole 33, last year. (Credit: Jen Nuzzo, file)

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