Deliver Me From Nowhere

I haven’t been to a theater in years.

The last time was when Springsteen released “Western Stars” which is one of my favorite records of all time.

We didn’t go this weekend to see, “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere” with Jeremy Allen White playing Bruce, but we will see it soon.

“Nebraska” is a record that drips with Bruce’s depression. Of course, way back in 1982, when the record was released, we didn’t know why a rock star, whose career was just taking off, would release such a stark record.

I was a Springsteen fan way back then. I had loved ‘Darkness’ and ‘The River’ and I also owned his first 3 records.

I was a freshman in college when Nebraska came out, and for the uninitiated, it was so insanely different.

There weren’t any hits. 

Bruce didn’t even appear on the cover, and they didn’t even tour to support it, or even make a freaking video!

And the songs were so damn dark.

Bruce’s chair was creaking on the recording. He taped it in his bedroom. 

Songs of desperation, isolation and heartache.

He wails, “Hey, ho, rock and roll, deliver me from nowhere.”

Since then, Bruce has opened up about the crippling depression that almost wrecked his life.

The record made sense with that information. Lyrically, it’s astounding. 

My wife’s favorite Springsteen song ever, “Reason to Believe” is on that record.

When Jake was sick, I’d switch cars with Kathy and that song was on, at full blast, whenever I got into the car to go to the hospital.

“At the end of every hard earned day, people find some reason to believe.”

So, we will see the movie, and while I know the story about the making of the record, I’m pretty sure it will be great.

Of course, Bruce and White are everywhere promoting the film, and that comes with the usual hate for Bruce because he has had the guts to speak out about the horrible atrocities playing out in our current government.

Check the comment section on anything related to Bruce and it’s the same garbage:

“I used to love him, but now he hates America.”

“He’s a draft dodger!”

Both of those things aren’t even remotely true, and I hate that I feel the need to clap back at those who are saying crap about him.

First off, he went for a physical when his draft number came up. He failed because he had a bad knee and a concussion as the result of a motorcycle accident. They didn’t take him.

Bruce has donated millions to Vietnam vets. He’s spoken about feeling guilty because someone took his place and went to the war. He lost buddies and the drummer from his first band to the war.

So, it made him speak out against the government.

He’s always been someone who has stood up for and sang about one simple thing:

“No one wins unless everyone wins.”

Human rights for all.

Standing up for what is right, and despite the fact that he’s now a wealthy, wealthy man…

…he’s never forgot what it felt like to be lost and broke, and nowhere.

Rock and Roll delivered him.

And I went along for the ride.

Should be a great flick.