We Take Care Of Our Own

               Where are the eyes, the eyes with the will to see
               Where are the hearts that run over with mercy
               Where is the love that has not forsaken me
               Where is the spirit that will reign reign over me
               Where is the work that will set my hands, my soul free
               Where is the promise from sea to shining sea
               Where is the promise from sea to shining sea
               Wherever this flag is flown
               We take care of our own

                ~Bruce Springsteen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x8zBzxCwsM&ob=av2n



It has been with the patience of a child on Christmas Eve that I have waited for the release of the new Bruce Springsteen album (yes I still call them albums).  From the very first time I heard Born To Run, I was instantly transformed into a Springsteen fan. And several decades later, nothing has changed. Being a middle aged man who cannot afford a mid-life crisis, I do try and keep up on the last music and must admit that I really enjoy some of it. But when Springsteen plays, nothing else compares. There has been much anticipation and hype leading up to this release and thus far, it has lived up to everything we have come to expect from the "Boss" and the E Street Band.

I was immediately taken with the single and video for, "We Take Care Of Own". Firstly, it is difficult to believe that this man is in his early sixties. He can't be! It was only yesterday when I was groovin to Hungry Heart and I'm A Rocker. And seeing the video, he doesn't seem that old although I have to admit, he will never be old to me. I am constantly amazed how this singer/songwriter/entertainer and performer continues to reinvent himself to always find a place in mainstream music. It is as if he is able to let time pass through him without any affect whatsoever. And along with the die hard, blue collar fans that scoop up his albums and flock to his shows as if each one will be the last, Bruce Springsteen seems to resonate with the younger generation of all music genres. He truly is timeless.

The video for We Take Care Of Our Own mixes the classic Boss videos of the past with a new creative energy look that will be amicable to music fans of all ages. In fact, this may be his best video yet. The lyrics are somewhat depressing and angry yet there is more than a hint of optimism and inspiration. In this song, Bruce once again has his hand, his heart and his soul on the very pulse of society and it's two most important shortcomings. That of course would be selfishness and greed. This is nothing new as the Boss has been singing about social injustice and inequality for the common of people for decades. Many of his songs are about the struggles of everyday people who work and dream for something more meaningful amid a society who's philosophy mandates a "What's In It For Me" attitude. And in these times of financial devastation on a global scale, this song could not have come at a better time.

There is a message and many questions asked this time around. He is asking our leaders and politicians about the promises they made to the people at every election. He wants to know when those promises will come due for those who have been waiting. "Where's the promise from sea to shining sea?". He is asking the corporate world, the CEO's, and the shareholders how much money is enough. He is asking the legal communities if they can even spell words like conscience and integrity let alone define it through conduct. He is reminding law enforcement that they swore an oath to serve and protect. And he wants them remember who they swore that oath to. He wants to know when the notion of freedom and opportunity bordered on the edge of being deemed criminal. But it is not just the conduct of the intellectually elite and self proclaimed saving graces that he questions. He wants to know what the rest of us have been doing to progress our society. And he makes it clear that we have not been doing enough. We push when we should pull, we ignore when we are unaffected, and we make too many excuse for doing nothing. In this song, Bruce Springsteen reminds us that we are decent people who have simply forgotten how to be decent.

As is rare with a Springsteen video, he allows himself to be captured in scenes that portray him as iconic and almost larger than life. And it works because he almost is. But unlike previous videos such as Dancing in the Dark which portrays Springsteen as some kind of teen idol, in this latest video the message is never lost. You read it in his lyrics. feel it in his heart and you see it in his eyes. And what makes it so meaningful is that he is genuine. For all the songs, all the videos, the concerts, the charitable causes and for all the stories told, his message has not really changed in almost 40 years. He keeps finding new ways of telling us the same thing. And for some reason, we just can't seem to understand that in the end....

Nobody Wins Unless Everybody Wins!