The Boss
For anyone who doesn’t know who this is, you share a commonality with the anesthetist of my second child. To give you some context, I was sitting in preparation for my epidural, ahead of a planned C-section for my second child, now 13-year-old Michael. As the anesthetist was strategically placing the needle, he remarked on my lumbar sacral tattoo, “The Boss,” chuckling that this was an indication of my rank in the marriage I had with my onlooking husband!
The Boss, as I told him, represented my all-time favourite rock star, Bruce Springsteen, and as a dedication to him, I had the ink done in Florida, where my husband and I holidayed in 2009 with my first son, then 12 years old. I corrected the clinician on two points. That I am not the boss, in my marital union, and that my husband is (as was then!) a Sergeant Major in the army. He conceded that perhaps there were two bosses in my marriage (three if, when we argue, Bruce is playing in the background).
Ever since I can remember I have listened to Bruce, in the early years when my mum played his albums (she also went to see him on tour) and later, as a teen and then adult, played on headphones, in the car, on CD, and live! I have seen him at Manchester twice and at Sheffield too. I have every album he has ever made; I have an original sheet music (signed) for “Used Cars” bought for me by my husband in the first years of our union.
My husband hadn’t heard of The Boss until we met! I can’t imagine where he must have been hiding! Perhaps his ears were only tuned to drill instructions, machine guns, and grenades; such was the nature of a career in the army, on the front line. Soon, though, he became accustomed to the music and had his first concert experience with the rock star!
His music has an eclectic style, ranging from folk to rock, ballads, and mainstream. He has a sound not dissimilar to Bob Dillan, with his use of the harmonica, and he also inspired more recent bands like Green Day for the rock element of his work. He has the most amazing voice, the American New Jersey dialect and gravelly tones instilling a rawness to his words, a truth and authenticity to the lyrics.
I can’t pin down a favourite song; there are too many that evoke such strong emotion. Tougher than the rest takes me back to being a teenager, hanging out with skateboarders, trying to find out who I was at that delicate age of adolescence. All the songs from the album, The River, take me back to parties and barbeques in my thirties, where my brother and his friends would make requests for songs, all equally enamored by the artist.
I feel like his music has been a soundtrack for my life, the songs and lyrics echoing life experiences, his music anchoring me during darker times. I feel like his words speak to me, and I have taken great comfort over the decades. I will never forget the first time I saw him live, listening to the crowd, and for a moment, I thought they were all booing him! Only after my sister explained to me did I realise they were chanting” Bruceeeee” which sounded so similar!
I wonder if he will tour again; he is getting older! As they say in life, nothing lasts forever. Luckily, his music will, as long as I have the miracle of hearing! Music can ignite crowds, it draws people together, unites us, and creates a universal love. When we listen, whether it’s Bruce or another artist, it elevates us to a state of euphoria. This is how we live in the moment. We surrender ourselves to the melody, the rhythm, the lyrics. No wonder music is used in so many therapies and for healing.
I imagine that artists channel their pain and emotion, and experiences into each song they perform, creating their outlet for stress release. It is such a powerful form of expression, as with all of the arts. Let’s not forget the beauty and mystery in a beautiful painting, or the power of a dance to an audience. I remember when we went into lockdown, one of the biggest losses, aside from the many victims of the virus, was the closure of theatres, cinemas, and galleries. Creative expression transcends language, culture, and geography. It can connect us all, regardless of who we are or where we are.
