Bruce Springsteen

There is something special about the Jersey shore…there is just a feel in the air when you approach the beach or the small bars and clubs that the local music has made famous.  In Bruce Springsteen’s music, the towns along the coast have become alive and well represented.  In this post, I would like to take a look at some Springsteen’s songs that represent New Jersey’s most famous musical town, Asbury Park, NJ.  Some of these songs may surprise you in that they are not so obviously about Asbury while others are more certain.  Most of these were written by Springsteen alone or co-written with at least one other “Little” guy…

1) 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) - This amazing song off Bruce’s second album, “The Wild, The Innocent & The E  Street Shuffle”, is one of my personal favorites.  It really gives you the Asbury feel; if that isn’t enough for you, the song also pretty much describes the town perfectly (carnival rides, casinos, and all the rest…)

2) My City of Ruins - Springsteen wrote this song not about New York City, but about Asbury Park as it was written in the late 1990s (before 9/11/01).  However, Bruce put the song on “The Rising” album so it can also be about the big apple.

3) Love on the Wrong Side of Town - This was a song co-written by Springsteen and Steve Van Zandt.  According to Southside Johnny (who plays this one regularly unlike Springsteen), claims that this song is all about Asbury Park.   Some believe that before giving the song to Southside, Bruce and the E  Street Band recorded it during sessions for “Darkness On The Edge Of Town.”

Many more Asbury songs exist, but enjoy these for now! I will make another edition of this post as soon as I can.  Also, don’t forget to keep checking back for fall tour news!

You may have thought that by the time the band played their fourth European show that something new would have entered the setlist.  Well, this has not happened yet however, last night’s show was quite the crowd pleaser according to all reports.  Some nice rare stuff in there including two little gems from “Greetings.”  Other highlights included “Trapped” and “Growin’ Up” in the first encore slot.  Let’s hope the Boss is saving up all that craziness for the Jersey run in July… and wherever he plays in the fall…STAY TUNED!

 5/28:

No Surrender
Radio Nowhere
Night
Lonesome Day
The Promised Land
Magic
Trapped
Adam Raised a Cain
Darlington County
It’s Hard to Be a Saint in the City
Because the Night
She’s the One
Livin’ in the Future
Mary’s Place
I’ll Work for Your Love
Devil’s Arcade
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
* * *
Growin’ Up
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
Born to Run
Rosalita
Dancing in the Dark
American Land

In the new issue of Rolling Stone Magazine, Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run” is listed as fourteenth greatest guitar song of all-time. Up there with songs like “Johnny B. Goode” (Chuck Berry), “Stairway to Heaven” (Led Zeppelin), and “Brown Sugar” (The Rolling Stones), Springsteen’s biggest song is in with the biggest company. While most of Bruce’s songs are not recognized for their guitar genius, this one is quite obvious and deserves to be on such a list.

In my opinion, “Born to Run” is the perfect song on the perfect album…it doesn’t get any better than this list of songs:

Born to Run: Commercially Released: August 25th, 1975 (Columbia Records)

01. Thunder Road
02. Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
03. Night
04. Backstreets
05. Born to Run
06. She’s the One
07. Meeting Across the River
08. Jungleland

Don’t forget to keep your eye on this blog as we get closer to the fall tour announcement…

Here is what my dream setlist would look like given the parameters of the “Magic” tour…while being hopeful and realistic at the same time of course!

01. Don’t Look Back
02. Take ‘Em As They Come
03. Radio Nowhere
04. You’ll Be Comin’ Down
05. Out in the Street
06. Gypsy Biker
07. Candy’s Room
08. 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)
09. Does this Bus Stop at 82nd Street?
10. Trapped
11. Because the Night
12. She’s the One
13. Livin’ in the Future
14. Be True
15. Drive All Night
16. The Rising
17. Last to Die
18. Long Walk Home
19. Badlands

20. The E Street Shuffle
21. Fire
22. Born to Run
23. Rosalita
24. American Land

25. Thunder Road
26. Glory Days

Yep..that would be thee show!

With the Manchester show up next (due to start in a few hours over in the UK), I thought it would be fun to take a look at a few of the songs that Bruce has NOT played yet on the Magic tour.  Now, I will only bring up some of the songs that I feel have a good chance of getting their tour debut; there is no reason to get crazy here.

One of the songs that I feel is long overdue is “From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come” which is an outtake from sessions for “The River” LP.  This upbeat song debuted in the 80s when Bruce would make frequent appearances at bars along the Jersey shore.  He debuted the song with the E Street Band on August 11th, 2003 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philly. 

Speaking of bars along the shore, another song that has a good shot is “Seaside Bar Song” from “Tracks.”  This is a song that I could see opening up the encore set or possibly the main set.  What a treat this would be!

Another favorite from “Tracks” is another song left off “The River” that I feel should have been given more consideration; this would be “Take ‘Em As They Come.”  Bruce rehearsed this one with the band in Asbury Park in February but it did not get any action on the American tour.  Let’s hope the Boss setlists this sucker sometime soon!

A few more possibilities include “Hungry Heart”, “I’m Goin’ Down”, “New York City Serenade”, and the long awaited “Drive All Night.”

We shall have to wait and see.  Once again, check back here regularly for updates on Springsteen’s fall tour of the United States as an official announcement is imminent!

Lyrics & Music: B. Springsteen

Well the streetlights shine
Down on Blessing Avenue
Lovers they walk by
Holding hands two by two
A breeze crosses the porch
Bicycle spokes spin ’round
Jacket’s on, I’m out the door
Tonight I’m gonna burn this town down

And the girls in their summer clothes
In the cool of the evening light
The girls in their summer clothes
Pass me by

A kid’s rubber ball smacks
Off the gutter ‘neath the lamp light
Big bank clock chimes
Off go the sleepy front porch lights
Downtown the stores alight
As the evening’s underway
Things been a little tight
But I know they’re gonna turn my way

And the girls in their summer clothes
In the cool of the evening light
The girls in their summer clothes
Pass me by

Frankie’s Diner’s
An old friend on the edge of town
The neon sign spinning round
Like a cross over the lost and found
The fluorescent lights
Flick above Pop’s Grill
Shaniqua brings a coffee and asks “fill?”
And says “penny for your thoughts now my boy, Bill”

She went away
She cut me like a knife
Hello beautiful thing
Maybe you could save my life

In just a glance
Down here on Magic Street
Love’s a fool’s dance
I ain’t got much sense but I still got my feet

And the girls in their summer clothes
In the cool of the evening light
The girls in their summer clothes
Pass me by

And the girls in their summer clothes
In the cool of the evening light
The girls in their summer clothes
Pass me by

La la la la, la la la la la la la
La la la la, la la la la la la la
La la la la, la la la la la la la
La la la la, la la la la la la la

Bruce and the band started their spring/summer European tour with three nights at RDS Arena (actually a massive stadium) in Dublin, Ireland on May 22nd. Bruce continued his pattern of opening with a different song each night. On the 22nd he opened with “The Promised Land” while “Night” and “No Surrender” opened on the 23rd and 25th respectively. While there were no tour premieres for any of the Dublin shows, the band did play some rare tracks including “Trapped”, “Murder Incorporated”, “Growin’ Up”, and the always special “4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy).” The real surprise, however, came at the end of the 3rd and final Dublin show when Bruce and the band came back for a second encore (which has been very rare on the 2007-2008 Magic tour). This second encore on the 25th comprised of “Ramrod” and “Glory Days.” It must have been nice to see some action after “American Land.” Now it’s on to Manchester on Wednesday night!

Here are the complete setlists from Dublin!

5/22:

The Promised Land
Radio Nowhere
Lonesome Day
Out in the Street
Gypsy Biker
Magic
Reason to Believe
Candy’s Room
Prove It All Night
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Because the Night
She’s the One
Livin’ in the Future
Mary’s Place
Waitin’ on a Sunny Day
The River
Devil’s Arcade
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
* * *
Thunder Road
Born to Run
Bobby Jean
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out (w/ Southside Johnny)
American Land

5/23:

Night
Radio Nowhere
No Surrender
Lonesome Day
The Promised Land
Magic
Trapped
Murder Incorporated
Darlington County
Prove It All Night
She’s the One
Livin’ in the Future
Mary’s Place
Girls in Their Summer Clothes
Devil’s Arcade
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
* * *
Jungleland
Born to Run
Glory Days
Dancing in the Dark
American Land

5/25:

No Surrender
Radio Nowhere
The Ties That Bind
Spirit in the Night
Gypsy Biker
Atlantic City
Reason to Believe
4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)
Growin’ Up
Because the Night
She’s the One
Livin’ in the Future
Mary’s Place
The Promised Land
Racing in the Street
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
* * *
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
Born to Run
Rosalita
Dancing in the Dark
American Land
* * *
Ramrod
Glory Days

Also, don’t forget that the American tour kicks off at Giants Stadium on July 27th with a three night run in Jersey! Also, check back here for information on Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s September/October United States arena tour…here are some rumored cities…

Atlantic City, NJ (Boardwalk Hall); Los Angeles, CA (most likely the tour closer); New York, NY (multiple nights at the Garden?); Trenton, NJ (Soverign Bank Arena); Philadelphia, PA (the old Spectrum?)..expect an official announcement shortly!