I didn't like Countin on a Miracle at first, and I think that has a lot to do with the production. It's a driving rock song with crunchy guitars, which can be a good thing, but the syrupy production smears it all into sonic sludge. Despite that, you can hear a good rock song trying to break out, and the lyrics really get to the personal tragedy of losing a loved one and the struggle to find the strength to continue.
We've got no fairytale ending
In God's hands our fate is complete
Your heaven's here in my heart
Our love's this dust beneath my feet
Just this dust beneath my feet
If I'm gonna live
I'll lift my life
Darlin' to you
But the biggest highlight for me is Mary's Place. With Mary's Place, I can imagine Bruce saying to Brendan something like, "look, I know exactly what I want here. This is me and the band, acknowledging the pain and rocking the house. Celebrating it and everything else. Celebrating life. We're just gonna rock here, okay? You can go take a coffee break or somethin'."
We remember Mary, she danced across her front porch, she got in the car, let the wind blow back her hair, laughed and trailed her fingers in our hair. She married somebody else, but, hey, we're still friends. And tonight, we're gonna meet at her place and have a party. All our old friends are gonna be there. We're much older now. Wrapped up in our own problems, making our way, reconciling youthful dreams and reality. We could use a little life-affirming action right now. So meet me at Mary's place. We're gonna have a party.
I got a picture of you in my locket
I keep it close to my heart
It's a light shining in my breast
Leading me through the dark
Seven days, seven candles
In my window lighting your way
Your favorite record's on the turntable
I drop the needle and pray (Turn it up)
Turn it up, turn it up, turn it up
Turn it up, turn it up, turn it up, turn it up
.jpg?t=20120527181101)
Article comments
1 - Jimmy Jazz
The glory of Bruce in the mid-70's is one of the few things that makes me wish I were older.
Good piece.
2 - George Partington
Thanks, Jimmy Jazz. I only wish I had discovered Bruce before his 1978 visit to the Fox Theater in Atlanta, Ga. The show was broadcast, and I did pick up a copy of it a couple years later. Oh my, was Bruce ever on fire then. If you can find it, I highly recommend that show, or some others from that tour I'm aware of (many were broadcast on FM radio) such as Winterland and Philadelphia.
3 - Chris Browne
Well, Bruce is back to his best.
4 - Leon
Joey Fabian never understood..........
5 - XB Cold Fingers
Thanks. While I grew up on Dylan and Phil Ochs, courtesy of older brothers, I followed a similar path to Bruce in high school. So while others were listening to pop from Billy Joel to Stevie Wonder I listened to "Greetings From Asbury Park" and "The Wild, the Innocent, and the E. Street Shuffle." These are timeless, as is "The Rising."
6 - XB Cold Fingers
After watching the World Trade Center burn and fall - from Broadway between 34th St and 18th St - I wrote "City of Heroes," along with a few hundred thousand other people who responded with their guitars, pens and keyboards. My friends said "this is good but ... listen to 'The Rising.'" I did. Over and over again. Then I wrote "Gone Now Forever," which can be streamed (free) from xbcoldfingers.com slash gonenowforever.mp3