on throw pillows on the floor of Mia’s dorm room.
“Ok, clearly we need to address Bob Dylan’s work, Crosby Stills Nash, the Buffalo Springfield stuff.” Henry said, as he made notes.
Schooner flipped through some books, “I don’t want to ignore Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger and we need to bring in the ties to Steinbeck’s work. Honestly though, I feel like Phil Ochs gets totally overlooked and I really want to focus on him, but at the same time, I think we really have to be careful of it becoming too derivative.
“Yeah, that’s my concern, too.” Rosie chimed in, making a face. “Whoever thought we’d hear a jock use the term derivative.” Schooner tossed a pillow at her, which she arranged under her head, smiling at him.
“I think they all help build a linear foundation for groups like the Pretenders, for Leonard Cohen, for REM and for Springsteen.” Mia said, without looking up from her notes.
“Oh no, here comes the New Yorker with Springsteen.” Henry teased and Mia threw a pillow at him, still not looking up from her notes.
“Hey, if anyone’s music focuses on the promise, the betrayal, coming to terms with everything on both a cultural level and a personal level — it’s Bruce’s. I’ve kind of been cataloguing it to look at what is more cultural than personal — if you can even separate it — and I think we can clearly make strong cases with: Thunder Road — the ultimate redemption song, The Promised Land — totally about coming to terms with the betrayal, Badlands — taking the power back, feeling the birthright, Born to Run,” Mia began to quote, “someday girl, I don’t know when, we’re going to get to that place where we really want to go and we’ll walk in the sun”. 4 Basically a good portion of The River album can be tied back into Marcus’ premise. Even some of the cover’s Bruce has chosen, Jimmy Cliff’s ‘Trapped’.” She looked around for her notes, “Oh, and trying to pull it down to the individual level — that of personal betrayal and questioning of the promise. Check this out, listen to this song.” She grabbed her cassette player and played with the forward and reverse for a few minutes to get the tape to the right point. The quiet guitar strains began to a bare, haunting tune.
Mia laid back on her throw pillow, eyes closed, quietly singing harmony as the others listened intently to the lyrics of the starkly beautiful song:
Woke up this morning the house was cold
Checked the furnace she wasn’t burnin’
Went out and hopped in my old Ford
Hit the engine but she ain’t turnin’
We’ve given each other some hard lessons lately
But we ain’t learnin’
We’re the same sad story that’s a fact
One step up and two steps back
Bird on a wire outside my motel room
But he ain’t singin’
Girl in white outside a church in June
But the church bells they ain’t ringin’
I’m sittin’ here in this bar tonight
But all I’m thinkin’ is
I’m the same old story same old act
One step up and two steps back
It’s the same thing night on night
Who’s wrong baby who’s right
Another fight and I slam the door on
Another battle in our dirty little war
When I look at myself I don’t see
The man I wanted to be
Somewhere along the line I slipped off track
I’m caught movin’ one step up and two steps back
There’s a girl across the bar
I get the message she’s sendin’
Mmm she ain’t lookin’ too married
And me well honey I’m pretending
Last night I dreamed I held you in my arms
The music was never-ending
We danced as the evening sky faded to black
One step up and two steps back 5
“Play that again.” Henry asked and Mia rewound the tape and restarted the song.
Schooner listened closely again, slightly distracted by Mia’s proximity on the next throw pillow.
Hearing the words a second time cut deeply.
When I look at myself I don’t see
The man I wanted to be
Somewhere along the line I slipped off track
I’m caught movin’ one step
“Ok, clearly we need to address Bob Dylan’s work, Crosby Stills Nash, the Buffalo Springfield stuff.” Henry said, as he made notes.
Schooner flipped through some books, “I don’t want to ignore Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger and we need to bring in the ties to Steinbeck’s work. Honestly though, I feel like Phil Ochs gets totally overlooked and I really want to focus on him, but at the same time, I think we really have to be careful of it becoming too derivative.
“Yeah, that’s my concern, too.” Rosie chimed in, making a face. “Whoever thought we’d hear a jock use the term derivative.” Schooner tossed a pillow at her, which she arranged under her head, smiling at him.
“I think they all help build a linear foundation for groups like the Pretenders, for Leonard Cohen, for REM and for Springsteen.” Mia said, without looking up from her notes.
“Oh no, here comes the New Yorker with Springsteen.” Henry teased and Mia threw a pillow at him, still not looking up from her notes.
“Hey, if anyone’s music focuses on the promise, the betrayal, coming to terms with everything on both a cultural level and a personal level — it’s Bruce’s. I’ve kind of been cataloguing it to look at what is more cultural than personal — if you can even separate it — and I think we can clearly make strong cases with: Thunder Road — the ultimate redemption song, The Promised Land — totally about coming to terms with the betrayal, Badlands — taking the power back, feeling the birthright, Born to Run,” Mia began to quote, “someday girl, I don’t know when, we’re going to get to that place where we really want to go and we’ll walk in the sun”. 4 Basically a good portion of The River album can be tied back into Marcus’ premise. Even some of the cover’s Bruce has chosen, Jimmy Cliff’s ‘Trapped’.” She looked around for her notes, “Oh, and trying to pull it down to the individual level — that of personal betrayal and questioning of the promise. Check this out, listen to this song.” She grabbed her cassette player and played with the forward and reverse for a few minutes to get the tape to the right point. The quiet guitar strains began to a bare, haunting tune.
Mia laid back on her throw pillow, eyes closed, quietly singing harmony as the others listened intently to the lyrics of the starkly beautiful song:
Woke up this morning the house was cold
Checked the furnace she wasn’t burnin’
Went out and hopped in my old Ford
Hit the engine but she ain’t turnin’
We’ve given each other some hard lessons lately
But we ain’t learnin’
We’re the same sad story that’s a fact
One step up and two steps back
Bird on a wire outside my motel room
But he ain’t singin’
Girl in white outside a church in June
But the church bells they ain’t ringin’
I’m sittin’ here in this bar tonight
But all I’m thinkin’ is
I’m the same old story same old act
One step up and two steps back
It’s the same thing night on night
Who’s wrong baby who’s right
Another fight and I slam the door on
Another battle in our dirty little war
When I look at myself I don’t see
The man I wanted to be
Somewhere along the line I slipped off track
I’m caught movin’ one step up and two steps back
There’s a girl across the bar
I get the message she’s sendin’
Mmm she ain’t lookin’ too married
And me well honey I’m pretending
Last night I dreamed I held you in my arms
The music was never-ending
We danced as the evening sky faded to black
One step up and two steps back 5
“Play that again.” Henry asked and Mia rewound the tape and restarted the song.
Schooner listened closely again, slightly distracted by Mia’s proximity on the next throw pillow.
Hearing the words a second time cut deeply.
When I look at myself I don’t see
The man I wanted to be
Somewhere along the line I slipped off track
I’m caught movin’ one step
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