Why He's the Boss

Last post, I said I thought the Springsteen concert would be one of the best shows of my life... and I was right.

This guy is unreal - non-stop passion. He would play 5-6 songs in a row like he was sprinting a marathon.

It was absolutely amazing to see the whole E-Street band there: Clarence Clemons, Little Steven, Max Weinberg and Nils Lofgren. I saw legends play last night.

Springsteen may well be the most passionate and energetic performer alive right now. I was stunned.

I have now seen Bob Dylan (3 times), U2 (6 times), Bruce Cockburn (9 times), The Police, The Rolling Stones and Arcade Fire (twice)... and now Springsteen. I feel like quite the happy fan.

I think Springsteen's strength is that he can paint very vivid images with his words and imagery. His descriptions of people's stuggles and the fading possibility of the American dream are vivid and real.

This show was a non-stop party. He has ended every show of this tour with a rousing Irish jig rendition of Pete Seeger's "American Land". This was the only song, where they displayed the lyrics on the screen. Springsteen played this song as an almost dark joke.

This song is an earnest tale of a new immigrant's impression of the promise of America. The sad reality is that the American dream has remained a dream, and has not transpired into reality for many many people.

Here it is:

What is this land America so many travel there
I'm going now while I'm still young my darling meet me there
Wish me luck my lovely I'll send for you when I can
And we'll make our home in the American land

Over there all the woman wear silk and satin to their knees
And children dear, the sweets, I hear, are growing on the trees
Gold comes rushing out the rivers straight into your hands
When you make your home in the American Land

There's diamonds in the sidewalk the's gutters lined in song
Dear I hear that beer flows through the faucets all night long
There's treasure for the taking, for any hard working man
Who will make his home in the American Land

I docked at Ellis Island in a city of light and spires
She met me in the valley of red-hot steel and fire
We made the steel that built the cities with our sweat and two hands
And we made our home in the American Land

The McNicholas, the Posalski's, the Smiths, Zerillis, too
The Blacks, the Irish, Italians, the Germans and the Jews
Come across the water a thousand miles from home
With nothin in their bellies but the fire down below

They died building the railroads worked to bones and skin
They died in the fields and factories names scattered in the wind
They died to get here a hundred years ago they're still dyin now
The hands that built the country were always trying to keep down

There's diamonds in the sidewalk the gutters lined in song
Dear I hear that beer flows through the faucets all night long
There's treasure for the taking, for any hard working man
Who will make his home in the American Land