I posted this video on my Instagram page, but I thought I would share it here. September 30 marked 43 years since Bruce Springsteen released his solo album, Nebraska. Along with Darkness on the Edge of Town, Nebraska represented a new era in Springsteen’s songwriting, with stripped-down music and lyrics that were brilliantly terse but overflowed with imagery and emotion. I love a lot of Bruce’s early work, but songs like “Growin’ Up,” “It’s Hard to Be a Saint in the City,” and “Spirit in the Night” depended on effusive, poetic lyrics that were more suited to a newer artist just finding his voice. With Darkness on the Edge of Town and Nebraska, he learned to say more with less — “I got debts no honest man can pay,” “I guess there’s just a meanness in this world,” “the dogs on Main Street howl” — and that’s a skill that only comes with a little age and experience.
As I mention in the clip, I’m also looking forward to the release of Nebraska 82, an extended version of the original album that includes full E-Street Band performances of some of the original tracks, and the film Deliver Me From Nowhere, based on Warren Zane’s book of the same title. And while you’re at it, pick up a copy of Steve Van Zandt’s Unrequited Infatuations, which is a fun read.
