Synopsis

Blondie perform "Union City Blue" amid the working waterfront of New Jersey, surrounded by shipyard structures, industrial equipment, and expansive views across the Hudson River toward Manhattan. Debbie Harry sings directly to the camera while the band plays against the stark dockside setting. Helicopter-style aerial shots widen the scale, contrasting the group's cool, glamorous presence with the gritty environment that inspired the song's title and atmosphere.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was filmed at Union Dry Dock in Weehawken, New Jersey, rather than in Union City itself. The location sits across the Hudson River from Manhattan.

• Its industrial dockside setting connects directly with the song's origins. Debbie Harry wrote the lyrics while acting in the 1980 film "Union City," and the song also draws on her New Jersey background.

• The video formed part of "Eat to the Beat," an ambitious project that created a filmed performance for every song on Blondie's 1979 album. The collection was promoted as one of rock music's earliest full-length video albums.

• Chris Stein later joked that the production may have been the first music video to use helicopter aerial shots, although his claim was made humorously rather than as a documented industry record.

• "Union City Blue" was released as the second UK single from "Eat to the Beat" in November 1979. It reached No. 13 in the UK but was not issued as a single in the United States at the time.

• The song was co-written by Harry and Blondie bassist Nigel Harrison. Drummer Clem Burke later said that he created the drum part and regarded the track as one of his favorite Blondie songs to perform.