Not that Springsteen is a simple kinda guy. His songs may be simple in appearance, but are vastly complex in the way they inspire thought and emotion with ever being jingoistic or cloying. Throughout The Rising, he approaches September 11 from a slant-wise perspective, never slamming you in the head with his message, but letting the power of the record flow naturally from the careful craft of his signature emotional ballads and rockers.
Its strongest moments often disguise themselves as songs about garden-variety heartache. In fact, in another time, many of the songs could double as that. “You’re Missing” includes the words: “Pictures on the nightstand / TV’s on in the den / Your house is waiting / For you to walk in / but you’re missing.” It could be a song about a lost love, like the supremely sad “Downbound Train” from Born in the USA. And then it hits you – the “you” of the title is not just gone from the narrator’s life but from the world and the levels of sadness become almost too much to bear.
“Nothing Man” is a touching account of one survivor’s guilt: “I never thought I’d live / to read about myself / in my hometown paper.” He is the “nothing man”, someone who, by all rights, should not even exist and the burden he carries is that of those that didn’t make it to enjoy another backyard barbecue. Springsteen has nothing useful to say to this “nothing man”, no magic balm for his sadness. He just stands back and sadly observes him, and his portrait is so involving and affecting that for the first time, I found myself empathizing with someone who didn’t die in the disaster.
But all is not gloom. A heaviness hangs over the album, as well it should, but elsewhere on The Rising, Springsteen offers a possible antidote. He has always believed the best escape is to rock your ass off. “Waitin’ on a Sunny Day” is the E-Street Band at its happiest, wrapping a catchy song in a warm blanket of thunderous drums, lilting fiddles and dobros, and Clarence Clemons’ instantly recognizable saxophone wail. It’s exciting, uplifting and damn near brilliant in its familiarity and simplicity. Springsteen knows that The E-Street Band makes us feels good, and here he uses that power not just to make us dance around the room, but to heal our wounds.
Unlike many of the songs we’ve heard about September 11, The Rising offers no easy answers, and no intimation of vengeful anger at the enemy — quite the opposite, actually. “Better ask questions before you shoot” he warns on “Lonesome Day”. “That taste on your tongue don’t easily slip away”. (The album was written and recorded in the weeks immediately after the attacks and before shooting was a foregone conclusion.) “World’s Apart” is a remarkable song, rising above its Sting-like Sufi choir intro to strike at the heart of more than one matter.
Article comments
1 - Jim Henley
"Mary's Place," thoroughly embarrassing? The mind boggles. It's nothing less than the album's masterpiece.
See Darkness on the Edge of Town.
2 - Karl Urban
Mary's Place contains the key line in the whole album, which really gets emphasized in concert: "How do you live brokenhearted." It's a brilliant juxtaposition of lyrics (dark) and music (let's party!), followed by the realization the next morning (in the following song) that "You're (still) Missing"
3 - Jimmy Jazz
I see your point, I guess, but what is one to make of lyrics like "Let it rain Let it rain Let it rain Let it rain Let it rain Let it rain Let it rain"?
Ridiculous, says I.
4 - Karl Urban
In the context of the album, "Let it rain" is a pretty obvious metaphor. Based on your website, I think you understand metaphors pretty well....
5 - Joe W
"Mary's Place " embarassing? I disagree. I studied the lyrics of this song longer than any of the others on the Rising. I just felt Bruce had deeper intentions than the way this song comes off. Could it be that Mary's Place is another name for heaven? That would certainly change a lot of people's opinions of this song. I believe Bruce disquised a much deeper meaning under a blanket of simplicity which certainly would make this song embarassing for those of us who did'nt get it.
6 - Double-E
I never really thought Mary's Place fit in the context of the rest of The Rising. But the comment about Mary's place being a metaphor for heaven definitely makes me think of the song in a completely different way. I don't want to dislike the song, especially since he plays it often in concert and it gets the crowd going quite a bit.
7 - Shelby
Mary's Place is poetic, beautiful, and so deep. You just have to look for the meaning. It makes references to Buddha right off the bat, so you knows there is some secret message right away. Mary may equal the Virgin Mary and mary's place could be Heaven. LET IT RAIN is a phrase that should make any listener just melt because it usually is about washing away something burdening you, like sin or pain. Then since Bruce loves music so much and feels it's a release, TURN IT UP is like trying to drown out all the bad memories, but of course they will come back when the music stops. Bruce knows that.