nothin’ illegal; just a little bit funny
Springsteen wrote the tune, in deference to Pete Seeger, on 1992’s Lucky Town. It’s a difficult one for me to get through now, because I have a specific memory of my old pal John C. Spears wading in my parents’ swimming pool, clad only in what my brother referred to as his “marble bag,” while the song played on an outdoor speaker. “Waist-deep, in a big muddy..” Never before had words so aptly described a situation. Which is kind of my point..
While Springsteen is a decidedly liberal dude, it’s never interfered with his capacity to write insightful lyrics. A few of them from this tune (“don’t tell me the rich don’t know – sooner or later it all comes down to money“) registered this morning while reading this essay by esteemed playwright David Mamet. The piece is further proof of the paramount power of good writing; whether one agrees with his change of heart or not, his logic as expressed is difficult to refute.
The beauty of the primary elections is that they allow you to pick a side without having to make a final decision. While you are influencing the general outcome of things, you can still jump ship when you step in the booth come November. As such, it’s been easy for me to pull for Obama in these contests. While I’m patently uncertain about the liberal argument, I’m fairly clear on my feelings about Hillary Clinton. However, previously expressed sentiments about sticking with the ticket for the long haul are subject to change. It’s been more than easy to get caught up in all this rock star hyperbole surrounding the Illinois senator, but I’d admittedly take Alice Cooper over Hillary. And as old as McCain is, it almost always comes down to your basic philosophical approach. That said, I’d gladly sell out to either side to be able to write like David Mamet. (3/12/08)
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