Bruce Springsteen: "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town"

As a young man, Bruce Springsteen would read Dostoyevsky, along with Arthur Miller plays. Springsteen's own work seems to be suffused with the spirit of Willy Loman; Springsteen's characters are often severely flawed and relatable.

Thus: the speaker in "Born in the USA," who "got into a little hometown jam." (We can read between the lines.) There is also the young man in "Dancing in the Dark," who understands that he ought to be home doing his literary work, but who instead grabs his wallet and heads to the bar. ("This gun's for hire....") There is also the man who abandons his wife and children. ("I took a wrong turn, and I just kept going...")

It seems to me that Bruce Springsteen has compassion for these troubled souls. He knows we're all doomed, but he encourages us to keep trying. I think that's the spirit behind Springsteen's version of "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town."

You better watch out;

You better not cry!

You better not pout--

I'm telling you why....

At the start of the song, Bruce expresses his enthusiasm for a "reed player," Clarence, who has been rehearsing with diligence. (A new sax may be Clarence's reward.) But Bruce doesn't dwell on Clarence; he turns to the members of the audience, who generally admit that they have been "less than good." Bruce shouts, "You guys are in trouble out here!" He says this as a fellow traveler; he knows what trouble is like.

But--I guess--until midnight on December 24th, there's some time to turn things around.

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