May 30 2008
Greetings from Asbury Park!
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!
