What Are You Listening To?

[CRAZY-HORSE]

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN "Nebraska" cd, 1982

his sixth of nineteen, i own eighteen, never bought "high hopes" from a couple of years ago.
his twentieth is due out in a few weeks time...
anyway.
Americana is where this one sits,
its as stark and bleak as how i imagine Nebraska to look.
acoustic album, just him with guitar.
pretty close to being as perfect as he ever got lyrically.
the third in what i call his "trio of perfection" after Darkness and The River.
sublime album loving just about every track here
I LOVE THIS ALBUM.

linked track is one of the saddest songs i think ive ever heard.





My name is Joe Roberts I work for the state
I'm a sergeant out of Perrineville barracks number 8
I always done an honest job as honest as I could
I got a brother named Franky and Franky ain't no good.


Now ever since we was young kids it's been the same come down
I get a call ON THE SHORT WAVE Franky's in trouble downtown
Well if it was any other man, I'd put him straight away
But when it's your brother sometimes you look the other way.

Me and Franky laughin' and drinkin' nothin' feels better than blood on blood
Takin' turns dancin' with Maria as the band played "Night of the Johnstown Flood"
I catch him when he's strayin' like any brother would
Man turns his back on his family well he just ain't no good.

Well Franky went in the army back in 1965 I got a farm deferment settled down took Maria for my BRIDE
But them wheat prices kept on droppin' till it was like we were gettin' robbed
Franky came home in '68 and me I took this job.

YEA ME AND FRANKY LAUGHIN' AND DRINKIN' nothin' feels better than blood on blood
Takin' turns dancin' with Maria as the band played "Night of the Johnstown Flood"
I catch him when he's strayin', LIKE ANY BROTHER WOULD
Man turns his back on his family he ain't no friend of mine.

WELL The night was like any other, I got a call 'bout quarter to nine
There was trouble in a roadhouse out on the Michigan line
There was a kid lyin' on the floor lookin' bad, bleedin' hard from his head there was a girl cryin' at a table, it was Frank they said
Well I went out and I jumped in my car and THEN I hit the lights
I must of done 110 through Michigan county that night.

It was out at the crossroads HEAD down round Willow bank.
Seen a Buick with Ohio plates behind the wheel was Frank
Well I chased him through THOSE county roads till a sign said Canadian border 5 miles from here
I pulled over the side of the highway and watched his taillights disappear.

YEA Me and Franky laughin' and drinkin' nothin' feels better than blood on blood.
Takin' turns dancin' with Maria as the band played "Night of the Johnstown Flood"
I catch him when he's strayin' like any brother would
Man turns his back on his family well he just ain't no good