Ten Classic Rock Songs I Surprisingly Like: Thunder Road (#9)

Tweet

Consider this the insulin to counteract the sugary goo in my bubblegum music countdown. In addition to that, I'm also looking at ten songs that are FM rock or "classic rock" staples, of of which are ferociously overplayed; however, since I don't listen to FM/classic rock anymore, I don't hear them 800 times a day, so I like them. Some of these songs I actually love, not just "can tolerate." This is on the "love" list...with apologies to @JohnRoberts here it is. #9: Thunder Road - Bruce Springsteen Roy Orbison singin' for the lonely Hey that's me, and I want you only And for a few minutes my mind drifts to Orbison's fabulous song...then I come back to this fabulous song. At the risk of alienating everyone in New Jersey (not to mention half my friends whom I've known for 20-40 years), I think Bruce Springsteen is overrated. My late, lamented comedian friend Tim Wilson used to joke about how people in New Jersey always say, "Ooh, it's the Boss! It's New Jersey! We love Springsteen," then added, "But every song he ever sang is about how much New Jersey sucks!" Point taken. Even the critics, who would slobber over themselves to top one another on giving St. Bruce the best review, got a little tired of it at one point. I remember reading (gasp!) a negative review of The River, where the critic (who I'm sure lost his/her job right after that was published in 1980, and is now in hiding) talked about how every freaking song was this "there ain't been much work on account of the economy" dirge (as if everyone had to be reminded of it). Having badmouthed his bossness, I will say that I think Nebraska was a very good album, as was Born to Run, from which this song is taken. Further, I saw Springsteen twice in 1985, and even if you hate every syllable he utters he still will entertain you because he PUTS ON A SHOW AND A HALF for his fans. I have to give him credit for that: he hasn't forgotten who put the expensive food on his gold-lined table. "Thunder Road" was originally called "Wings for Wheels" (after the line "let's trade in these wings on some wheels"), probably because people might mistake the title "Thunder Road" for Robert Mitchum's hit "The Ballad Of Thunder Road." It's a song about the desolation of a small town, and two people who want to escape. She's apparently got a bad reputation ("there were ghosts in the eyes of all the boys that you sent away....your graduation gown lies in rags at their feet"), and he's a musician ("well, I got this guitar, and I've learned how to make it talk"). The road is calling that it holds the key to freedom: "It's a town full of losers, I'm pulling out of here to win." Sorry, John. I love this song. Thunder Road Written by Bruce Springsteen Recorded by Bruce Springsteen From Born to Run, 1975 Show a little faith, there's magic in the night: