Friday , March 29 2024
Road trip!

Verse Chorus Verse: Bruce Springsteen – “Pink Cadillac”

And then it arrives.  The moment is upon us.  Tonight, I take in the first of my back-to-back shows.  As you're reading this, I'm probably in my car heading for St. Louis for my Born To Run show, looking forward to hearing "Backstreets" for the first time and waiting and hoping to see what other surprises might be in store for me.

Among the many great things about the music of Bruce Springsteen is that so many of his songs are great road trip music.  So many of the songs are about cars and driving; they put you in the mood and remind you of the feelings of freedom and romance that has lured so many to the open road.  Me?  I fucking hate driving and wish like hell I had a chauffeur, but if anything can take the drudgery out of a long roadie, it's Bruce Springsteen.

11 swears he's seen a "Pink Cadillac" roaming around Florence and assures me it's an omen.  He's hoping it's an omen for our Nashville show next month.  That would be fine, but I'm hoping to spot a little omen of my own on this trip.  Looking at the weather forecast for St. Louis, I won't be driving in on a sunny day so maybe I can get a few things working my way.

"Pink Cadillac" first came to me much like "Because The Night."  I heard the Natalie Cole version long before I heard Bruce's own take on it.  It wasn't until I listened to Bruce's version that I came to understand he's not talking about a vehicle. 

If you take a look at the setlists from this tour it's clear Bruce has put as much of an emphasis — if not more — on "good time" songs.  He's done some songs that reflect the hard times our country and world is facing but has also tried to lift the spirits of the audience with a reminder of how much fun a rock concert can be and the transformative power of music. 

Well if it's fun he wants, I've got a suggestion.  I'm just looking for that one good omen.

About Josh Hathaway

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