There is something about Bruce Springsteen’s “Incident on 57th Street” that makes it ethereal. It doesn’t look out of place at all when stood next to songs like “Jungleland,” “Racing in the Street,” “Backstreets,” “Lost in the Flood,” and so on. If anything, it’s part of that exclusive family.
How you can pen such a profound and meaningful song in your early 20s, as Springsteen was when he released 1973’s The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle, is nothing short of phenomenal. It’s that cinematic style of writing he engaged in so early on (see: “Flood,” “4th of July Asbury Park [Sandy],” “New York City Seranade”) and let a story unfold that makes us feel like we are there, living it with the characters, Spanish Johnny, and Puerto Rican Jane.
The whole freaking song is a masterpiece. From the delicate piano in the opening bars, and the bending notes on that Telecaster, to the lyrics, music, imagery, and storytelling, all of it is nothing short of spectacular. And that solo to take the song out, absolutely incredible. If the song isn’t considered out of this world, it should.
I can’t find a good enough superlative for Springsteen’s lyrics. Incredible isn’t good enough, fucking amazing doesn’t even cut it. I mean, the second line says Spanish Johnny is dressed “just like dynamite.” If that is not cool, I don’t know what is. This is after he’s rocked up in his “beat-up old Buick.” Stark imagery, but it’s expected, really.
The whole second verse contains some of my favorite lyrics not only by Bruce Springsteen, but by anyone. Absolute stellar song writing. And I love the vocal (live) at the “Upstairs the band was playin'” line.
Well, like a cool Romeo he made his moves, ah, she looked so fine
And like a late Juliet she knew he’d never be true, but then she didn’t really mind
Upstairs a band was playin’, the singer was singin’ something about going home
She whispered, “Spanish Johnny, you can leave me tonight, but just don’t leave me alone”
And Johnny cried, “Puerto Rican Jane, word is down the cops have found the vein”
Well, them barefoot boys, they left their homes for the woods
Them little barefoot street boys, they said homes ain’t no good
They left the corners, threw away all of their switchblade knives
And kissed each other goodbye
I mean, how awesome is that verse?
In the last verse, you can almost feel Jane’s heartbreak when she sees Johnny “up and putting his clothes on.” I could go on about this for quite some time, but I think that’s enough, for now.
- Bruce Springsteen, “Incident on 57th Street” (1973): Deep Cuts - October 31, 2014
- Bruce Springsteen, “Lost in the Flood” (1973): Deep Cuts - October 25, 2014
