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.”