"STATE TROOPER" BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (1982)

For the month of November, I’ll be selecting songs in conjunction with the music Twitter challenge: #WelcomeToTheOccupation.

In today’s cess pool of slick, over-produced albums, Nebraska stands as a beacon of all that’s good. The purity of the songwriting. The rawness of the performance. That’s it. I can appreciate a good synth flourish or extra guitar part like the next guy. But sometimes I just want to hear a great song, unencumbered and untangled. That’s the entire Nebraska album, including the brooding “State Trooper”.

Recorded in his house on a 4-track, “State Trooper” has the sound of genius emanating on the fly. Springsteen’s gift of songwriting lies in his ability to step inside someone else’s shoes and tell their story. Tell their story is what he does on “State Trooper”. It feels authentic and just the right amount of tension and anxiety to make you believe every word. It’s just his words and two chords on his guitar.

“Hey, somebody out there, listen to my last prayer. Hi ho silver-o, deliver me from nowhere.”

"MY FATHER'S HOUSE" BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (1982)

For October, the Mental Jukebox is dialing it way back to the eighties and going deep. Deep cuts have always been an important element of music listening to me because they’re often the songs that resonate with me most. Deep cuts are usually the ones that the true fans appreciate most. I like my singles and hits, but I love my deep cuts.

One of the most powerful things about being a songwriter is you get to tell your story. They’re not just your words. They’re your memories and experiences. These types of songs always feel much fulfilling because they don’t just rely on technical skill and expertise. They come from the heart. Springsteen has written about his relationships, his home, his life. And here in “My Father’s House”, he writes about his dad.

The stark simplicity of “My Father’s House” is reflective of the minimalist production approach on Nebraska. It’s just Springsteen singing, playing harmonica and strumming his guitar. There’s an air of Johnny Cash happening here, but these lyrics are Springsteen’s story of his strained relationship with his dad. It’s pure Springsteen through and through – proving that the most profound aspect of his musicality is the ability to tell a gripping, personal story.

“Last night I dreamed that I was a child out where the pines grow wild and tall. I was trying to make it home through the forest before the darkness falls.”

"THUNDER ROAD" BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (1975)

This month on Twitter, @sotachetan hosts #BrandedInSongs – which is a head-on collision of my personal world of music and my professional world of branding and advertising. The challenge is to simply pick a song with a brand name in its lyrics or title. I added one more criteria to my picks, which is this: the songs themselves must be as iconic as the brands they mention. No filler here.

Songs that are covered by several legendary acts are few in and far between. “Thunder Road” is one of those rarities, a song that was also recorded by Tori Amos, Cowboy Junkies, Phish and Melissa Etheridge. It’s also spotlighted in Nick Hornby’s book, “31 Songs”. All this to say, it’s as clear as day that the opening track to Born To Run is absolutely revered by both musicians and fans alike.

I heard that “Thunder Road” started as a bit of an unwieldy affair, like its hinges are a bit loose. This prompted the producer to ask Springsteen and the band to streamline the sound a bit. Thankfully, this didn’t seem to diminish the song at all. “Thunder Road” is a full song, a rocker with unforgettable lyrics that was born out of combining sketches of multiple songs into one seamless track. Bruce’s vocals, as the often are, feel like he’s pushing himself to the max, and so do all the instrumental elements, including the piano, harmonica and sax. “Thunder Road” hits like thunder.

“They haunt this dusty beach road
On the skeleton frames of burned out Chevrolets.”

"ATLANTIC CITY" BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (1982)

For the next 30 days, I’ll be taking the #AprilAcrossAmerica challenge, picking one song a day as I make my way across the country and across genres at the same time.

Day 6: Atlantic City, NJ
There may not be an artist more associated with their home state than Bruce Springsteen. His passion, pride, and music are intimately tied to his love for New Jersey. It’s undoubtedly part of the charm with his music. What we get from the lyrics and music often feels like a slice of life from his old haunts. It feels local, not like the global sensation that an artist of his stature deserves. That said, “Atlantic City”, to me, is his crowning achievement and, in many ways, the quintessential Springsteen track.

The storytelling form of song lyrics doesn’t get much better than Springsteen’s Nebraska album. Music and production was stripped down to their minimalist form, putting the lyrics and vocal performance at the forefront. “Atlantic City” is one of the more memorable tracks from the record. On it, Springsteen. sang of love, escape, risk and organized crime. As we listen to the story of this couple driving to Atlantic City, I can’t help but root for them, hoping they find a better outcome than the Chicken Man.

“Everything dies baby, that's a fact. But maybe everything that dies someday comes back. Put your makeup on, fix your hair up pretty and meet me tonight in Atlantic City.”

"MERRY CHRISTMAS BABY" BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

So much of the Christmas season, for me, is all about the music. I have no problems with you if you want to start your Christmas celebrations a little early. After Halloween seems excessive. After Thanksgiving is fair game. Then let’s bring on the real Christmas songs and the fake ones, too. I don’t discriminate. From Dec 16-31, it’s all Christmas music playing on Mental Jukebox.

I believe Christmas is far better off without having to hear the Boss’ version of “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” incessantly. After Mariah Carey’s commercial darling, it’s probably the Christmas song of the season I loathe the most. That’s why “Merry Christmas Baby” is so important. Because Springsteen is so important. He’s still the accomplished singer-songwriter with a knack for performing on stage. “Merry Christmas Baby” as a live recording is a powerful reminder of this without the over-indulgences of his more popularized Christmas tune.

“Now you see, I feel real good tonight. And I got music on the radio. And I feel good tonight.”

"ATLANTIC CITY" BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (1982)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #SeptSongLyricChallenge

Day 1

The storytelling form of song lyrics doesn’t get much better than Springsteen’s Nebraska album. Music and production was stripped down to their minimalist form, putting the lyrics and vocal performance at the forefront. “Atlantic City” is one of the more memorable tracks from the record. On it, Springsteen. sang of love, escape, risk and organized crime. As we listen to the story of this couple driving to Atlantic City, I can’t help but root for them, hoping they find a better outcome than the Chicken Man.

“Everything dies baby, that's a fact. But maybe everything that dies someday comes back. Put your makeup on, fix your hair up pretty and meet me tonight in Atlantic City.”

"USED CARS" BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (1982)

It’s time to get back to my favorite decade. For the month of March, I’ll be looking back at some of my favorite jams from the 80s. These songs often came to me via MTV or the radio. NYC-area stations WDRE, WPLJ, WNEW, K-ROCK and Z100 introduced me to everything from irresistible pop confections to under-the-radar post-punk anthems. I would not be who I am today if it weren’t for the 80s. It was the decade when I discovered music can be a truly powerful thing. #31DaysOf80sSongs

Boy was I late to the Nebraska party. I’ve never been a huge Springsteen fan even though Born in the U.S.A. was my first album purchase ever. I didn’t like it much. Too much Heartland when I was all about Brit pop at the time. A couple of decades later I finally discovered an album that preceded it. Nebraska is raw heartland rock. Free of the bells and whistles that production-heavy albums often get mired in. It was all about the songs on this one. “Atlantic City” is one of my favorite recordings of all time. But not far behind it is the first track on Side B, “Used Cars”.

No E Street band. No session instrumentalists. No backing vocals. Just the Boss. On “Used Cars”, Bruce sings, plays guitar and creates these gorgeous moments on the harmonica. Like a classic used car, the track is no frills and unassuming. Without the immediate intrigue and weight that some of the other Nebraska tracks carry (“Atlantic City”, “Johnny 99”, “Highway Patrolman”), “Used Cars” relied on maybe the most important attribute of a song: powerful storytelling.

“Now mister, the day my number comes in I ain't ever gonna ride in no used car again.”

"ATLANTIC CITY" BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (1982)

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.”