Stolen Car (Bruce Springsteen song)

Last updated

"Stolen Car"
Song by Bruce Springsteen
from the album The River
ReleasedOctober 1980
RecordedJanuary 1980
Studio Power Station, New York City
Genre Rock
Length3:54
Label Columbia Records
Songwriter(s) Bruce Springsteen
Producer(s) Jon Landau, Bruce Springsteen, Steven Van Zandt

"Stolen Car" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen. It was originally released on his fifth album, The River . The version released on The River was recorded at The Power Station in New York in January 1980. [1] An alternative version recorded in July 1979 was released on Tracks in 1998.

Contents

History

"Stolen Car" was written quickly and first recorded the day after "Hungry Heart. [2] Music critic Clinton Heylin has suggested that it may have begun as a continuation of that song, as "Stolen Car" originally used similar language to explain the marriage failure: "We got married and promised never to part/Then I feel a victim to a hungry heart." [2] "Stolen Car," along with a few other songs on The River including the title track and "Wreck on the Highway", mark a new direction in Bruce Springsteen's songwriting. These ballads, imbued with a sense of hopelessness, foreshadow his next album, Nebraska . [3] Like "The River", "Stolen Car" is an inner-directed, psychological song that deals with a failing marriage. [4] [5] The protagonist of "Stolen Car" is driven by his loneliness to car theft, hoping to get caught but fearing to just disappear. [6] Essentially, he wants to get arrested just to prove he exists. [4] Author June Skinner Sawyers describes the theme of the song to be "the struggle to create meaning for oneself." [7] She notes that it "just tells a story, honestly and simply, offering one of Springsteen's most precise lyrics." [7] Patrick Humphries describes the effect as being similar to the Robert Mitchum film noir Build My Gallows High . [5]

The recording uses minimal backing, with soft piano and synthesizer punctuated by tympani-like drums. [6] Springsteen's biographer Dave Marsh wrote that the recording fades away "without a nuance of reluctance. There is nothing more here—just a waste of life and a man brave or stupid enough to watch it trickle away." [6] Bruce Springsteen himself has noted that "Stolen Car" is one of the songs reflecting a shift in his songwriting style, linking The River to Nebraska. [8] He noted that the protagonist "felt disconnected and felt that he was fading away, disappearing, felt invisible," just like Springsteen himself felt invisible while he was growing up. [7] He has also stated that the protagonist was the character whose progress he would be following on the Tunnel of Love album, and that he served as the archetype for the male role in future songs Springsteen wrote about men and women. [4] Springsteen would also develop themes from "Stolen Car" on other future songs, including "State Trooper" and "Highway Patrolman" from his 1982 Nebraska album and "Downbound Train" from his 1984 Born in the U.S.A. album. [9]

In 2015, Springsteen stated that he regards "Stolen Car," "Point Blank," "Independence Day" and the title track as being "the heart and soul" of The River album. [10] "Stolen Car" and another song from The River, "Drive All Night", played a key role in setting the tone of the 1997 film Cop Land . [11] It has been listed as one of the all-time great songs in Toby Creswell's "1001 songs" and as one of the 7500 most important songs from 1944 through 2000 by Bruce Pollock. [4]

Alternate version

An alternate version of the song exists that was released on the album Tracks . This version, sometimes referred to as the "Son you may kiss the bride" version of the song, [12] was recorded at The Power Station in July 1979. [13] This version was originally intended to be released on a single album that was to be released in 1979 and called The Ties That Bind. [14] [15] This album was eventually scrapped and expanded to become the double album The River. In this process, "Stolen Car" was rerecorded in the version released on The River.

The version of the song on Tracks has additional verses and the instrumentation is not as dark as in the version released on The River. [7] In the final verse, the song's protagonist dreams of his wedding day and the joy and hope he felt but as he dreams of kissing his bride at the end of the ceremony he feels everything slip away again. [7] A subtle difference between this version and The River version is that whereas on The River version the singer fears he will disappear into the night, in this version he already has, like a ghost. [7] The lyrics of this version also include river imagery used in some other songs on The River, including the title track and "Hungry Heart". In this version of the song, the singer—or his ghost—surrenders to the river similarly to the boy in the Flannery O'Connor story "The River," whose "fury and fear left him" drowns in the river he was intending to baptize himself in. [2] Heylin referred to Springsteen replacing this version with the version released on The River as "an act of self-sabotage". [2]

Personnel

According to authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon: [16]

Covers

A cover version of "Stolen Car" was recorded by Patty Griffin for her 2002 album, 1000 Kisses . [17] Another cover version was also recorded by Elliott Murphy. [18] Owen recorded a slightly modified cover entitled "Stolen Bike" in 2006, released first on the Japanese edition of At Home with Owen. In 2018, X Ambassadors covered the song for Spotify. [19]

The song, along with "Drive All Night", are played by the protagonist in the film Cop Land .

During a flashback scene in the Cold Case episode "8 Years", the song briefly plays while two high school friends start stealing cars for money.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlantic City (song)</span> 1982 single by Bruce Springsteen

"Atlantic City" is a song written and recorded by Bruce Springsteen, which first appeared on Springsteen's 1982 solo album Nebraska. Springsteen has often played the song in a full band arrangement in concert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hungry Heart</span> 1980 single by Bruce Springsteen

"Hungry Heart" is a ballad written and performed by Bruce Springsteen on his fifth album, The River. It was released as the album's lead single in 1980 and became Springsteen's first big hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart peaking at number five.

"No Surrender" is a song from Bruce Springsteen's album Born in the U.S.A.. It was only included on the album at the insistence of Steven Van Zandt, but has since become a concert staple for Springsteen. Though it was not one of the seven top ten hits of the album, "No Surrender" nevertheless charted on the Mainstream Rock chart, peaking at No. 29. It returned to prominence during the 2004 United States presidential election when John Kerry, the Democratic candidate and a fan of Springsteen, used the song as the main theme song for his campaign.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm Goin' Down</span> 1985 single by Bruce Springsteen

"I'm Goin' Down" is a rock song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen. It was released on August 27, 1985 by Columbia Records as the sixth single from his 1984 album Born in the U.S.A. The song was recorded with the E Street Band in May 1982 at Power Station studio in New York City, and co-produced by Springsteen, Jon Landau, Chuck Plotkin, and Steve Van Zandt. Although Springsteen had changing ideas about the songs to put on the album, "I'm Goin' Down" was ultimately selected for inclusion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prove It All Night</span> 1978 single by Bruce Springsteen

"Prove It All Night" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on May 23, 1978, as the first single from his fourth studio album Darkness on the Edge of Town.

"Downbound Train" is a song that appears on the 1984 Bruce Springsteen album Born in the U.S.A. The song is a lament to a lost spouse, and takes on a melancholy tone. Author Christopher Sandford described the song as beginning "like a Keith Richards' riff" that ultimately moves to "one of those great country busted-heart lines, 'Now I work down at the car wash/where all it ever does is rain.'"

"Working on the Highway" is a 1984 song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen. It was released on the album Born in the U.S.A. and has remained a popular concert song for Springsteen and the E Street Band.

"The Ties That Bind" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen. It is the opening song on his fifth album, The River. It was the second song recorded for 'The River', at The Power Station in New York on April 9–11, 1979. The recording engineer was Bob Clearmountain. After Springsteen injured himself driving an ATV, forcing a one-month halt, Neil Dorfsman became the chief engineer when sessions resumed. Springsteen wrote the song during September - October 1978, while on the road during the Darkness Tour. After introducing it on November 1, 1978, it was played every night during the final two months of the tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fade Away (Bruce Springsteen song)</span> 1981 single by Bruce Springsteen

"Fade Away" is a 1980 song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen, accompanied by the E Street Band. It is included on his album The River, and the second single released from it in the United States, reaching the top twenty in both the United States and Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The River (Bruce Springsteen song)</span> 1981 single by Bruce Springsteen

"The River" is a song written and recorded by Bruce Springsteen, accompanied by the E Street Band, in 1979. The title track of his fifth album, it was a hit single in parts of Europe in 1981; reaching No.24 in Ireland, No. 25 in the Netherlands, and the top 10 in both Sweden and Norway. Its B-side was either "Independence Day" or "Ramrod", depending on the country of release.

"Be True" is a song by Bruce Springsteen. It was recorded on July 18, 1979 at The Power Station in New York in one of the early recording sessions for Bruce Springsteen's album The River. It was not released on the album, but in 1981 it was released as the B-side to the single release of "Fade Away", a song taken from The River album. According to Springsteen, "Be True" was left off The River album in favor of the song "Crush on You", a decision he has a hard time understanding in retrospect. Springsteen was already second guessing his decision to exclude "Be True" from The River before the album was even released.

"Independence Day" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen. It was originally released on his fifth album, The River, in 1980. It was recorded at The Power Station in New York, on April 24–25, 1980.

"Wreck on the Highway" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen. It was originally released as the final track on his fifth album, The River. The version released on The River was recorded at The Power Station in New York in March–April 1980. As well as being the last track on The River, it was the last song recorded for the album.

"Out in the Street" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen from the 1980 album The River. It was recorded at The Power Station in New York between March and May 1980, as one of the last songs recorded for the album. Originally, Springsteen was going to keep the song off the album because it was so idealistic.

"Johnny 99" is a song written and recorded by rock musician Bruce Springsteen, which first appeared on Springsteen's 1982 solo album Nebraska.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tunnel of Love (Bruce Springsteen song)</span> 1987 single by Bruce Springsteen

"Tunnel of Love" is the title song by Bruce Springsteen from his 1987 Tunnel of Love album. It was released as the second single from the album, reaching number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Like the first single from the album, "Brilliant Disguise", "Tunnel of Love" reached number one on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and reached the top twenty in Canada peaking at number seventeen. The music video received five MTV Video Music Awards nominations, including Video of the Year and Best Male Video.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Step Up</span> 1988 single by Bruce Springsteen

"One Step Up" is a song by Bruce Springsteen from his eighth studio album, Tunnel of Love (1987). It was released as the third single from the album, following "Brilliant Disguise" and the title track. It reached position #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, #3 on the Adult Contemporary chart in the United States, and #23 in Canada. It also reached #2 on the U.S. Album Rock Tracks chart, giving Springsteen three straight top two tracks from the album. The song was only released as a single in America. One of the unreleased songs from 1980's The River, "Roulette", recorded April 3, 1979, was released as the b-side, using an alternate vocal mixed on April 12, 1980, that would also be used in 1998, when it was chosen for Tracks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spirit in the Night</span> 1973 single by Bruce Springsteen

"Spirit in the Night" is a song written and originally recorded by American singer/songwriter Bruce Springsteen for his debut album Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. (1973). It was also the second single released from the album. A cover version performed by Manfred Mann's Earth Band, using the title "Spirits in the night" was released on the album Nightingales and Bombers and as a Top 40 single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Point Blank (Bruce Springsteen song)</span> 1981 single by Bruce Springsteen

"Point Blank" is a song written by Bruce Springsteen and first released on Springsteen's 1980 album The River. In Europe, it was also released as a single in 1981, backed by another song from The River, "Ramrod". Although it was not released as a single in the US, it did reach #20 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

"Darkness on the Edge of Town" is the last song on the 1978 album of the same name, Darkness on the Edge of Town, by Bruce Springsteen. It was the last song recorded and mixed, and in April 1978 it was designated the title song to a thematic album whose songs portray the struggles of the less-fortunate, not only to survive, but to keep their spirit and will to live alive, the title track portrays a hard-luck loser in life who refuses to give up. Springsteen's fourth album, released three years after his 1975 effort Born to Run, was delayed two years because of legal problems with his former manager, Mike Appel. Expectations were high after he took one year to complete the album.

References

  1. ↑ Brucebase, On The Tracks: The River
  2. 1 2 3 4 Heylin, Clinton (2012). E Street Shuffle: The Glory Days of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Constable. pp. 195–199, 209, 362. ISBN   9781780335797.
  3. ↑ "Allmusic The River".
  4. 1 2 3 4 Creswell, T. (2006). 1001 Songs: The Great Songs of All Time and the Artists, Stories and Secrets Behind Them. Da Capo Press. p. 813. ISBN   1-56025-915-9.
  5. 1 2 Humphries,Patrick (1996). Bruce Springsteen. p. 42. ISBN   0-7119-5304-X.
  6. 1 2 3 Marsh, Dave (1987). Glory Days:Bruce Springsteen in the 1980s. Pantheon Books. pp. 95–96. ISBN   0-394-54668-7.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Sawyers, June Skinner (2006). Tougher Than the Rest. Omnibus Press. pp. 60–61. ISBN   9780825634703.
  8. ↑ Graff, Gary (2005). The Ties That Bind: Bruce Springsteen A to E to Z. p.  255. ISBN   1578591570.
  9. ↑ Kirkpatrick, Robert (2007). The Words and Music of Bruce Springsteen. Praeger. pp.  74-75, 88, 98. ISBN   978-0275989385.
  10. ↑ Zimny, Thom (2015). The Ties That Bind. HBO.
  11. ↑ "Internet Movie Database Cop Land". IMDb .
  12. ↑ Graff, The Ties That Bind, 379-380.
  13. ↑ http://brucebase.wikidot.com/stats:The+River+-+Studio+Sessions Brucebase, On The Tracks: The River
  14. ↑ Graff, The Ties That Bind, 304.
  15. ↑ Marsh, Dave (1981). Born to Run: The Bruce Sprinigsteen Story. p.  247. ISBN   0-440-10694-X.
  16. ↑ Margotin, Philippe; Guesdon, Jean-Michel (2020). Bruce Springsteen All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. London: Cassell Illustrated. p. 173. ISBN   978-1-78472-649-2.
  17. ↑ Graff, The Ties That Bind, 174.
  18. ↑ Graff, The Ties That Bind, 244.
  19. ↑ "X Ambassadors Cover on Spotify". Spotify . Retrieved 30 March 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.