I love this song, my favourite Springsteen song (admittedly I've only been listening to him a week and a half so it could change). I think its about escapism and teenage rebellion in general, it may be specific to an event or area, but it can be used in a lot of contexts. The feeling of angst within an area and the urge to break free and live "on the edge" with your loved one, I'm currently going through a phase where this song has a lot of meaning (the girl i like hates her parents and feels the need to escape and such).
My favourite lines "In the day we sweat it out on the streets of a runaway American dream/At night we ride through mansions of glory in suicide machines" I think are metaphorical. The first part ("In the day...American dream" I think represents how America was changing and the typical "American dream" was having to give way to a more modernised, grim America, and how the "teens of the time" (which this song seems to be aimed at) are feeling desolate and unwanted by their country's more traditional ideals. The next part "At night...Suicide machines" I think represents the "teen takeover" of America and how the youths of the era don't care about the traditional "mansions of glory" of America, and are living now by a more "live fast die young" ethos, e.g. "suicide machines" representing motorbikes, drugs and the like.
All in all, I think its a classic song and I love it more than any of his other stuff (although Born In The USA, State Trooper, Mansion On The Hill, Atlantic City and Badlands all come close).
I love this song, my favourite Springsteen song (admittedly I've only been listening to him a week and a half so it could change). I think its about escapism and teenage rebellion in general, it may be specific to an event or area, but it can be used in a lot of contexts. The feeling of angst within an area and the urge to break free and live "on the edge" with your loved one, I'm currently going through a phase where this song has a lot of meaning (the girl i like hates her parents and feels the need to escape and such).
My favourite lines "In the day we sweat it out on the streets of a runaway American dream/At night we ride through mansions of glory in suicide machines" I think are metaphorical. The first part ("In the day...American dream" I think represents how America was changing and the typical "American dream" was having to give way to a more modernised, grim America, and how the "teens of the time" (which this song seems to be aimed at) are feeling desolate and unwanted by their country's more traditional ideals. The next part "At night...Suicide machines" I think represents the "teen takeover" of America and how the youths of the era don't care about the traditional "mansions of glory" of America, and are living now by a more "live fast die young" ethos, e.g. "suicide machines" representing motorbikes, drugs and the like.
All in all, I think its a classic song and I love it more than any of his other stuff (although Born In The USA, State Trooper, Mansion On The Hill, Atlantic City and Badlands all come close).