Springsteen Week Part 1

I have Springsteen seat covers in my car. 

I’ve seen him live 34 times - #35 is coming this week.

I do listen to his music mostly every day.

So, as we head to the Thursday show I’m going to explain a little about why he’s been such a constant presence in my life.

“Nobody Wins Unless Everybody Wins.”

Bruce ended his ‘Born to Run’ video with that message - way back in the 80’s.

I’d already known that to be his message.

It meant a lot to me then and means a lot to me now.

America is a country of great promise. It’s a promised land that speaks of an American dream that’s supposed to be there for the taking.

Bruce has always written and sang about those on the fringes of those dreams. He was brought up in a close family with a Dad who struggled mightily with depression and bounced from job to job.

He felt that pain, and wrote about it, brilliantly.

He’s now a rich man.

He still sings about the fringes.

Brilliantly.

Yet, his music has changed a lot through the years. In the 1970’s, he wrote about girls and cars, and running away from pain.

More than 50 years later, he’s writing about looking back on a long life, and writing about mortality and saying goodbye to people he’s loved.

He wrote about every possible thing in between and through the years, I followed along, looking to be entertained and searching for some wisdom along the way.

Every single one of those 34 shows, while being wildly entertaining also provided fuel to attack the next stage of life.

That’s what Thursday will bring, and I’m seeing him with my brother and my nephew.

It’s always been about family as well.

Tomorrow will be a blog about how this journey began…

…back in 1975…

…when I heard ‘Born to Run’ for the first time.

“Wendy, let me in, I want to be your friend. I want to guard your dreams and visions.”

Just a couple of lines that a 10-year old kid heard and thought:

“That’s pretty great.”