No person listening to the radio could remember all the words. and it was probably because it had so many words. BRUCE SPRINGSTEENĪs I said, the song flopped in the U.S. He went nuts with the words and threw everything in, but I don’t see the kitchen sink. So, sitting in his bedroom with a rhyming dictionary, Bruce threw so many words together and came up with this beast. The song came about because the record company felt he needed a single. There were a ton of references to friends, his youth experiences and even him getting sick. The song was very auto-biographical for Bruce. ![]() It took someone performing his song for him to get a #1 song…interesting considering how much he is acclaimed as being The Boss. And…it flopped! Manfred Mann’s version was released in 1977 and went all the way to #1 and I believe it was Bruce’s first #1 song and his only. off his 1973 debut album, Greeting From Asbury Park, N.J. For Bruce, it was his first single in the U.S. The Cover, we are going to explore the Bruce Springsteen song “Blinded by the Light” which was later covered by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band. Demme asked Springsteen to write the song to bring awareness to the AIDS crisis, and the song’s lyrics, “Oh brother, are you gonna leave me wastin’ away,” are absolutely heartbreaking in a sequence illustrating the frustration and hopelessness of Tom Hanks’ character.For this edition of The Original Vs. Springsteen won an Academy Award for “Streets of Philadelphia,” written for the 1993 Jonathan Demme film, “Philadelphia,” and probably the best-known use of the Boss’ music in cinema. The song’s lyrics suit Rourke’s character, as a wrestler who’s career is rapidly declining: “Have you ever seen a one-legged dog making the way down the street?/ If you’ve ever seen a one-legged dog, then you’ve seen me.” Although the song was nominated for a Grammy and an MTV Movie Award, it was passed over for an Academy Award nomination (only three were nominated that year). Springsteen’s friend Mickey Rourke, who stars in this 2008 film, asked him to write the song as a favor, and the Boss obliged. Burns not only featured three songs by Springsteen - “One Step Up” and “Valentine’s Day” from 1987’s “Tunnel of Love,” and “I’m on Fire” from “Born in the USA” - but he kept it in the family with five songs by his singer wife Patti Scialfa, including three from her 1993 “Rumble Doll” album. Yes, Smith named the film after the Tom Waits song that has become part of the Springsteen canon, but it was his use of “My City of Ruins” as Affleck visits his wife’s grave that places the song - written first for the resurgence of the Boss’ beloved Asbury Park, and later identified as a tribute to New York City after the 9/11 attacks - in a new light.ĭirected by Edward Burns, this 1998 film tells the story of characters in a seaside town, and happens to star another New Jersey Rock and Roll Hall of Famer - Jon Bon Jovi, who portrayed the boyfriend of actress Lauren Holly. Props must be given to Jersey filmmaker Kevin Smith, who directed Ben Affleck in this 2004 film about a father trying to raise his daughter after his wife passes away. In one heartbreaking scene, he comes home, goes straight to his turntable and puts on Springsteen’s “Stolen Car” - the song says more than dialog ever could. Springsteen’s affinity for the working classes in song has been well documented, but it rarely has a more fitting visual element than in this 1997 James Mangold-directed film, where Sylvester Stallone portrays a small-town Jersey sheriff surrounded by crooked cops. Music critic-turned-filmmaker Cameron Crowe does exactly that in this 1996 film, as Springsteen’s “Secret Garden” uses this song to frame the arc of the love story, as Tom Cruise’s character struggles to be the man that single mom Dorothy (Renee Zellweger) needs. ![]() ![]() If there’s one key skill that music critics can bring to filmmaking, it’s the ability to place the right song in the right scene. Which is what we’re going to do, after serving up these six great examples of Springsteen music used well in films.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |