I’m not a huge Springsteen fan, but when I got introduced to Nebraska later in life, i couldn’t stop listening to it. They’re simple, honest portraits of Americana, which are hard to find in musical form these days. And “Atlantic City” is the epitome of it. Here, Springsteen shows us the humanity and vulnerability of a crime boss. It’s beautiful in its rawness, not in its polish. The original demo on a 4-track recorder is the final recording that we hear. With nowhere to hide, all we’re left with is the story and the performance.

“Well they blew up the chicken man in Philly last night. Now they blew up his house too. Down on the boardwalk they’re gettin’ ready for a fight. Gonna see what them racket boys can do.”