LogFAQs > #954493753

203. Bruce Springsteen The River (1980)
from the album The River

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAB4vOkL6cE

Key lyrics:
Then I got Mary pregnant
And, man, that was all she wrote
And for my nineteenth birthday
I got a union card and a wedding coat

Bruce Springsteen started his career with albums that cast him as an eternal optimist even when times got tough, the lyrics and instrumentation suggested someone fighting back. He kicked off the 80s with two albums that saw him giving in. Where Born to Run is the anthem for escaping ones hometown, The River is the heart-wrenching story of those finding themselves trapped. Here, Springsteen takes more obvious inspiration from his folk influences, resulting in some of his strongest lyrics. This is a song dealing in specific imagery, establishing a central figure who realizes his earlier emotional escape ended up as his downfall.

The River starts with a stunning, wistful harmonica part before Springsteen begins singing. This first verse is sparse, finding Springsteen alone with the guitar, capturing the desolation of his subject matter. Even as the other instruments collectively drop in during the chorus, their downbeat sound heightens the loneliness as Springsteen sings with a desperate edge. Springsteen is central to the development of the Heartland rock movement, and The River established a melancholy side. In a way, The River fills in the negative space his earlier works merely acknowledged. With The River, Springsteen established himself as among the most mature and introspective voices in rock.

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My top 100 games (with write-ups): https://foolfantastic.com/top-100-video-games-project/