Sparks Fly On E Street: Bruce Springsteen, “Reno” (2005)

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You know, forget the “controversy.” Sure, Starbucks didn’t want to carry Devils and Dust because of this song’s “explicit” lyrics. Well, good for them. I don’t buy their stuff anyway. I tell you though, sometimes it feels like this country will never grow up.

For me, the bigger story of “Reno” was just how damned depressing it was. Say what you want about the song’s frank dialog, the idea of a widower trying (and failing) to relive the past via a prostitute? It’s an impossibly sad life situation. I love the song for its power, but sometimes I come close to wishing I’d never heard it at all.

Did Bruce cross a line with those lyrics? Were they unnecessary? I suppose it would have been possible to portray the bleakness of that afternoon using more opaque language, but why? To avoid offending a few people? I’m glad Bruce never considered it.

Up next: Long Time Comin’

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Mark Saleski