In his song Fourth of July (Sandy), Bruce evokes the glory of the beach and celebrates where land meets sea and boy meets girl. It is a love song, a swan song for a girl, and for the timeless nights alongside the ocean, a serenade to the sea where the promises are forever.
His first album was called Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ, after all, which is a classic North Jersey beach town. It's where he met his first muse -- the ocean. The currently popular MTV show Jersey Shore is vulgar for that reason, because it misses the magic. For me, growing up within easy reach of the narrow but beautiful beaches of south jersey -- we called it the shore -- the Boss's songs perfectly blended the rhythm of the summer waves with the heady, excruciating romance of youth.
And in his cover of Tom Waits' great song, Jersey Girl, Bruce hits it just right. He puts his hips and heart into it like no one else and delivers the power of the ocean: "Down the shore everything's alright".
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"Chasing them factory girls underneath the boardwalk/Where they all promise to unsnap their jeans" -- those were the key lines, weren't they?
But I hear the ocean is there too.
Random prediction: Mr. Spring Steen is gonna join Mssrs. Stewart and Colbert in DC on 10.30.10. Make the pilgrimage, Mr. Misner.
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