Songs toward paradise now

Springsteen's response to 9/11

By Tony Lobl

I'm glad Bruce Springsteen didn't take his usual two or three years of writing time and studio collaboration with the E-Street Band to produce "The Rising." Many people are still struggling to come to grips with the events of last September 11, and Springsteen's new release brings a modest, timely touch of empathy that, to this listener, feels genuine.

Most of the songs in "The Rising" take us back to the mental climate in the US before the war on terrorism—to those first days of grief and gratitude when Americans awoke, sobered by terrorism, to find themselves gifted with many heroes. In "Into the Fire," the Boss mourns their loss but celebrates their selfless courage: "May your strength give us strength, / May your faith give us faith, / May your hope give us hope, / May your love bring us love." These lyrics also could be taken as a prayer. It's saying to me, "Yes, our better selves do mirror the infinite, and this Lord of wholeness is the source of all that's good in us."

In Springsteen's view of the universe, everyone matters; each of us counts for something. "The Rising" is also a tribute to everyone's worth, and also to a higher source of hope. Titles such as "Lonesome Day," "You're Missing," "Empty Sky," and "My City of Ruins," show today's rock troubadour to be a skilled chronicler of dark times. But like the best blues music, Springsteen's heartfelt sorrow is also the listener's catharsis. And in this album he also adds a gospel tinge to the music that points to a higher place, a higher hope.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

SENTINEL WATCH

Looking back, looking forward