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’
[amazon_enhanced asin=”B00137TZ46″ container=”B00136LTXM” container_class=”” price=”All” background_color=”FFFFFF” link_color=”000000″ text_color=”0000FF” /] [amazon_enhanced asin=”B0007WF1WS” container=”” container_class=”” price=”All” background_color=”FFFFFF” link_color=”000000″ text_color=”0000FF” /] [amazon_enhanced asin=”B00138H48Y” container=”” container_class=”” price=”All” background_color=”FFFFFF” link_color=”000000″ text_color=”0000FF” /]
- Why the Rolling Stones’ Harrowing ‘Gimme Shelter’ is Still Revealing New Depths - November 18, 2024
- How Talking Heads’ ‘Fear of Music’ Opened Up a World of Art and Sound - August 5, 2024
- How Deep Cuts Propelled Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born in the U.S.A.’ - June 4, 2024
Spot on. As a Scotsman, I’ve never understood the furore over the language used (I use worse every day just in polite conversation) and always hated that it overshadowed what is a SPECTACULARLY well-written song.