Bruce Springsteen Friday

Jill Soloway doesn't love Bruce Springsteen's "I'm on Fire." In her memoir, she objects to the song's message.

I think Bruce Springsteen isn't saying the speaker is someone to emulate; I think Springsteen is simply describing a state of being. He isn't *endorsing* anything.

A few ideas stand out. The idea of sleeping with the woman--the person addressed--is so transgressive, it's like stealing a "little girl" from her "daddy." Yikes!

Unbearable desire is like having someone take a knife and "cut a six-inch valley" through the middle of your skull.

The image of the skull inspires another thought: Unacknowledged lust is like having a freight train in your head.

I like the drama and ambivalence in this song--the lust is neither a good nor a purely-bad thing--and I like all the sweat and the heat references. Mr. Springsteen has painted a compelling picture. I'd bet that that is all he wanted to do.

"Blinded by the Light"--the new Springsteen movie--arrives today, and, yes, it's a hot topic in this particular household. The reviews are great. We're excited!

https://www.google.com/search?q=bruce+springsteen+i%27m+on+fire&oq=bruce+springsteen+i%27m+on+fire&aqs=chrome.0.0l6.4016j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

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