Magic

The new Bruce Springsteen album arrived today. It had been kind of a rough day in the fourth grade, so I was glad to have some sugar to sprinkle on top of my shredded cardboard. I'm glad to have the E Street Band back, which is not to diminish the Seger Sessions or his solo work, just to say that I am fond of the big sound. The guitars. The drums. The saxophone. The Boss has been with me for many interesting turns on this dusty road.
It was a million years ago when I laid on the floor of the condominium in Muskogee, Oklahoma. It was a model home, and we were only staying there for a couple of days. Long enough to bury my friend. It was the morning of the funeral, and as I looked up through the glass of the coffee table, I tried to count the black marbles that filled the decorative bowl above my head. I wanted to focus on anything that didn't feel like death, and then through the headphones of my Walkman roared: "Well buddy when I die, throw my body in the back, drive me on down to that Cadillac Ranch." It was a song of last chances, but a song filled with hope. I pulled myself up off the floor and went out to face the day.
Years later, I was making plans to get my tickets to "The Ghost of Tom Joad" tour. My strategizing was complicated by my father's visit and subsequent trip to Auburn. Where do they sell tickets in Auburn, California? Early that Saturday morning I found myself in line with six other hard-core Bruce fans who knew Gottschalks was an outlet. My father was a good sport, and he understood my mania. Getting those seats made the rest of the weekend just a little more special.
I didn't make it to the show. I was back in Boulder, attending my father's funeral. Sometimes I wonder if the hours I spent waiting in line for tickets would have made a difference in the life that we shared. I know that the lyrics for "My Best Was Never Good Enough" could have been written by my dad. When I finally did see another show, months later, I cried.
The new album, "Magic", ends with a track that isn't listed on the liner notes. "Terry's Song" is a tribute to Bruce's good friend and confidante, Terry Magovern. In it, he reflects: "But love is a power greater than death, just like the songs and stories told, And when she built you, brother, she broke the mold". I know just what he means. When you get the new CD, remember to listen all the way to the end.