The Late John Garfield Blues

I think a combination of two of the previous comments gives a more accurate impression of the mood and meaning of the song. It's certainly about the sadness of a bleak existence, even in forced gaiety (windblown scarves in top down cars), and death and paints a stark, barren landscape, brooding and tough, like John Garfield's film persona and his films. Garfield's early life was difficult and acting became his way out of poverty and the 'hood. He generally played tough guys struggling to make it. He was blacklisted after refusing to testify against others during the McCarthy era and died young, some think from the stress of persecution. As was mentioned in a previous comment, his death was mourned by thousands. In the song, the narrator also views his imminent death (going to the last resort) and has no pretensions about his afterlife which will just be a continuation of his forlorn existence. One way of summing it up might be: life sucks and then you die so you might as well sing and dance, the blues, of course.