Bruce Springsteen brought honesty to Rock and Roll. Dropping pretenses of sex and drugs and death and despair, he went ahead with his song.
Even as a 21 year old college student, I can only sense the underlying value in this song. I can see a 40 year old divorcee hearing it one night on the radio and picking up his life. I can see a mother of 3 hearing it and realizing she is still beautiful.
It is a sad fact that most of popular literature and music is focused on youth -- either the wildness and freedom of being in it, or the confusion and sadness at losing it. And while Springsteen touches on it here, there is no doubt that the song is looking forward. He's trying to treat life as and up-and-down ride, not as some bell curve that we're all gonna be on the downside of someday. The hope and maturity of it is untouched by any other song in Rock history.
I don't think that Bruce absolutely rejected the emphasis on youth here, but he did present a vision of youth that is much more nuanced and reflective of how people actually live their lives. When I was about 21, I got the idea in my head that I needed to move to Nashville and make a name for myself. Not musically, just live in a large city in the South. That's kind of what happens when you grow up in a small town and you feel as if you've outgrown it. That was a mistake, of course - a costly...
I don't think that Bruce absolutely rejected the emphasis on youth here, but he did present a vision of youth that is much more nuanced and reflective of how people actually live their lives. When I was about 21, I got the idea in my head that I needed to move to Nashville and make a name for myself. Not musically, just live in a large city in the South. That's kind of what happens when you grow up in a small town and you feel as if you've outgrown it. That was a mistake, of course - a costly one - but one that represents the folly of youth.
ballz - very nice. that was 12/13 years ago that you sounded like a 40 year old. Now you're 33 or 34, it'd be interesting to hear you revisit this. You are dead on ballz accurate and I do not mean to trivialize your beautiful analysis in any way, but I will add this obvious truth...
ballz - very nice. that was 12/13 years ago that you sounded like a 40 year old. Now you're 33 or 34, it'd be interesting to hear you revisit this. You are dead on ballz accurate and I do not mean to trivialize your beautiful analysis in any way, but I will add this obvious truth...
Springsteen writes songs that makes women's panties fall right off.
Springsteen writes songs that makes women's panties fall right off.
Bruce Springsteen brought honesty to Rock and Roll. Dropping pretenses of sex and drugs and death and despair, he went ahead with his song.
Even as a 21 year old college student, I can only sense the underlying value in this song. I can see a 40 year old divorcee hearing it one night on the radio and picking up his life. I can see a mother of 3 hearing it and realizing she is still beautiful.
It is a sad fact that most of popular literature and music is focused on youth -- either the wildness and freedom of being in it, or the confusion and sadness at losing it. And while Springsteen touches on it here, there is no doubt that the song is looking forward. He's trying to treat life as and up-and-down ride, not as some bell curve that we're all gonna be on the downside of someday. The hope and maturity of it is untouched by any other song in Rock history.
Reckon you've hit the nail on the head there Ballz, good on Bruce for rejecting the youth-obsession of pop music.
Reckon you've hit the nail on the head there Ballz, good on Bruce for rejecting the youth-obsession of pop music.
I don't think that Bruce absolutely rejected the emphasis on youth here, but he did present a vision of youth that is much more nuanced and reflective of how people actually live their lives. When I was about 21, I got the idea in my head that I needed to move to Nashville and make a name for myself. Not musically, just live in a large city in the South. That's kind of what happens when you grow up in a small town and you feel as if you've outgrown it. That was a mistake, of course - a costly...
I don't think that Bruce absolutely rejected the emphasis on youth here, but he did present a vision of youth that is much more nuanced and reflective of how people actually live their lives. When I was about 21, I got the idea in my head that I needed to move to Nashville and make a name for myself. Not musically, just live in a large city in the South. That's kind of what happens when you grow up in a small town and you feel as if you've outgrown it. That was a mistake, of course - a costly one - but one that represents the folly of youth.
ballz - very nice. that was 12/13 years ago that you sounded like a 40 year old. Now you're 33 or 34, it'd be interesting to hear you revisit this. You are dead on ballz accurate and I do not mean to trivialize your beautiful analysis in any way, but I will add this obvious truth...
ballz - very nice. that was 12/13 years ago that you sounded like a 40 year old. Now you're 33 or 34, it'd be interesting to hear you revisit this. You are dead on ballz accurate and I do not mean to trivialize your beautiful analysis in any way, but I will add this obvious truth...
Springsteen writes songs that makes women's panties fall right off.
Springsteen writes songs that makes women's panties fall right off.