Bring on Your Wrecking Ball

When I first heard this song, which Springsteen premiered during a set of shows that closed out Giants Stadium, I thought it was slight. But as a friend of mine just wrote, "My first thought when I think he's written a 'throwaway' is 'uh-oh, what'd I miss?'." I missed a lot, and the context of the rest of the Wrecking Ball album makes clear that it's not just a song about a football stadium. It's a song about death and rebirth, moving from defiance ("c'mon, just try to knock me down") to exhortation ("tear down the old, build up the new"). A rocking rewrite of "My City of Ruins." This live version from last night's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon bests the studio version, as does the version of "We Take Care of Our Own." (Sorry for the ads.)

 

Comments

[Rol]

That's the first time I've heard Wrecking Ball and I thought it sounded like classic Bruce.

That said, the first time I heard We Take Care Of Our Own, I was convinced I didn't like it. Now I can't get enough of it.