Greetings from Bury Park

August 31, 2020August 31, 2020 ~ @AnnaLind1 ~ 1 Comment

Almost one year after being blown away by the film Blinded by the Light, I’ve read Greetings from Bury Park: Race, Religion and Rock ‘n’ Roll (2007), which is the memoir that inspired the film. The title is, of course, a play on words based on the part of Luton, north of London where Manzoor … Continue reading Greetings from Bury Park

It’s the working, the working, just the working life

May 1, 2020May 1, 2020 ~ @AnnaLind1 ~ Leave a comment

Bruce Springsteen’s exploration through the lives of working class people has been a frequent theme throughout his musicianship. He has become a storyteller of characters struggling to find their place in the world. In honour of International Worker’s Day 2020, check out my list of six Springsteen tracks that feature their protagonist actually working. I’m … Continue reading It’s the working, the working, just the working life

Be True

January 14, 2020January 15, 2020 ~ @AnnaLind1 ~ 10 Comments

My first contact with the song Be True was in 1988 when I bought the Chimes of Freedom EP in 1988, a special 4-Track 12" containing live recordings of: side A: Tougher Than The Rest and Be True, side B: Chimes of Freedom and Born To Run (acoustic). The EP was released for the benefit … Continue reading Be True

One Step Up

November 16, 2019January 5, 2020 ~ @AnnaLind1 ~ 1 Comment

One Step Up off the album Tunnel of Love (1987) is a melancholy song that illustrates a troubled relationship/marriage. The song begins by describing a house with a broken furnace and a car that doesn't start, both of which can be seen as metaphors for the relationship that isn't working properly. Already in the first … Continue reading One Step Up

Sherry Darling

October 19, 2019 ~ @AnnaLind1 ~ 4 Comments

At this time of year as the rain is pouring down, the days grow shorter and darker and my mind grows weary, I need music to lift my spirits. One of the songs I turn to is Sherry Darling. Sherry Darling is a summer song in its character. There's a "hot sun beating on the … Continue reading Sherry Darling

This Hard Land

October 6, 2019October 6, 2019 ~ @AnnaLind1 ~ 1 Comment

Springsteen began performing the song This Hard Land live in 1993. It was originally written and recorded for the album Born In The USA (1984), but was left off. Later it was re-recorded and became one of five previously unreleased songs on the 1995 Greatest Hits album. In 1998 the official 1982 studio version was released on … Continue reading This Hard Land

Western Stars [album]

September 20, 2019December 1, 2019 ~ @AnnaLind1 ~ 4 Comments

One thought haunts me when I hear Bruce Springsteen's latest album, Western Stars: The young protagonist who, in the beginning of the breakthrough album Born to Run, takes his car and leaves his hometown (a city of losers) has not yet reached the end of the (Thunder) Road. He has been looking for a home … Continue reading Western Stars [album]