LogFAQs > #956581222

80. Bruce Springsteen Atlantic City (1982)
from the album Nebraska

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-LIEr43_wk

Key lyrics:
Well now, everything dies, baby, thats a fact
But maybe everything that dies someday comes back

Nebraska finds Springsteen at his most bare, the instrumentation as sparse as his subjects are heavy. If The River represented crushed hope, Atlantic City is a place where hope was never allowed to form in the first place. The opening line finds the right balance between the specific and absurd; only those in Philadelphia had any reason to know Philip Testa until Springsteen referenced his death. The nickname Chicken Man immediately spins this song as a local myth Springsteen is going full folk here.

The mere existence of Nebraska is one of those lucky incidents in music. Springsteen was trying to work on his next album and recorded a few demos to show his band. A few found their way onto the future album, Born in the U.S.A., but Springsteen was convinced to keep the sparse instrumentation for others. Nebraska is essentially a demo reel, capturing Springsteens energy in its rawest form.

But even in demo form, Springsteen crafts a grand soundscape with Atlantic City. Though he plays alone, there are several layers. The acoustic guitar is played with great force, while a harmonica pops in after the chorus. A mandolin subtly joins the mix, adding a hollow, ghostly tone. Springsteen mixes in shouted vocals, an angered echo underpinning his more subdued lead. The chorus is a desperate plea, the words carrying a tiny hint of hope cut down by his anxious delivery. Springsteen has written plenty of songs about trying to escape a bad situation, but none so convincingly suggest impending doom like Atlantic City.

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