Springsteen

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

320. Everything on The River--the ramrodding, the hair tied back in long white bows, the union cards and wedding coats--all lead to Bruce being first on the scene of a bloody wreck, then being haunted by it into a future that would next generate Nebraska. Very country flavored. Ranked #70

The River was a lot for me back in 1980-81. I was like a Side 1-Side 2 guy back then.

[Edgy MD]

"WotH" kind of stands with "Racing in the Street" — one of those songs that's just a declarative telling of through-the-windshield observational narrative of some ramrod jockey out there on the American road — until by verse three, he brings it around to a tale of existential domestic anxiety.

[Frayed Knot]

... Bruce being first on the scene of a bloody wreck, then being haunted by it into [the] future

How Jim Morrison of him.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

321. Bruce ruminates on getting old and the inevitability of death in "Life Itself" which got the video treatment from Working on a Dream. This is a classic late-period Bruce song in that it reminds me vaguely of some other song by some other artist but it doesn't arrive right away. The guitar in this one seems un-Bosslike. It's not a bad song though. Ranked #248

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

322. The River leftover "Restless Nights" sounds like a jauntier cousin to "Because the Night," with hot guitar and organ solos. Reviewer notes this song is known as Steve Van Zandt's favorite Springsteen song. Ranked a lofty 73

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

323. We're at mile 25 of the Springsteen Marathon and still haven't uncovered the mysterious No. 1 song. But today we complete the remainder of the Top 10 with song #8, "Racing in the Street" from Darkness (not to be confused with "Racing in the Street '78," which we discussed back on day 57).

The thing I learned the most from reading Dave Marsh's early Springsteen bio (after Darkness, before River iirc) was the idea the DotEoT explored what happens to Springsteen's early characters now that they've peeled out of towns full of losers. They establish themselves in other towns, fight the evaporation of their youthful energy, and try not to be losers themselves. And they like to tinker with cars. There's sadness in this song but for sure I see it as solemnly hopeful.

[metirish]

I really appreciate your thoughts on each song

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Thank you! I feel like I've become better at analyzing Springsteen songs as this project has progressed. At first I was pretending to be a demented Casey Kasem who only played Bruce songs; once I dropped that act the shit got better.