Being a native of New Jersey it is no surprise that I grew up listening to a lot of Bruce Springsteen. I think he is forever intertwined with the History of New Jersey. His most famous album, Born in the USA is by far also his best selling, with over 15 million copies sold in the US alone. This is a great album and brought the Boss into the national spotlight where he would never leave. The album melded together Springsteen’s style of writing about “everyman” and the struggle to survive, with the pop, radio friendly music. This is what allowed the album to soar to the heights it reached.
My song today is not from Born in the USA, but from an earlier album. Although I love Born in the USA (which is why I mention it), I love listening to his earlier work as you can really see him grow into the amazing songwriter and performer that he has become. One of my favorite songs has always been the River. This is the title song from Springsteen’s double album from 1980. One of the interesting things about this album is the juxtaposition of pop songs with the hard biting folk lyrics of his earlier music. The River is certainly one of those songs. I particularly love the lyrics of this song, and its use of the river as a metaphor for the dreams of the future.
Here are the lyrics.
I come from down in the valley where mister when you’re young
They bring you up to do like your daddy done
Me and Mary we met in high school when she was just seventeen
Wed ride out of that valley down to where the fields were green
Wed go down to the river
And into the river wed dive
Oh down to the river wed ride
Then I got Mary pregnant and man that was all she wrote
And for my nineteen birthday I got a union card and a wedding coat
We went down to the courthouse and the judge put it all to rest
No wedding day smiles no walk down the aisle
No flowers no wedding dress
That night we went down to the river
And into the river wed dive
On down to the river we did ride
I got a job working construction for the Johnstown company
But lately there aint been much work on account of the economy
Now all them things that seemed so important
Well mister they vanished right into the air
Now I just act like I don’t remember, Mary acts like she don’t care
But I remember us riding in my brothers car
Her body tan and wet down at the reservoir
At night on them banks Id lie awake
And pull her close just to feel each breath shed take
Now those memories come back to haunt me, they haunt me like a curse
Is a dream a lie if it don’t come true
Or is it something worse that sends me
Down to the river though I know the river is dry
Down to the river, my baby and I
Oh down to the river we ride
Here is a great video of this song from back in 1980.
Enjoy!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q3LvjD-eZ8]