Trump and his jackals want to end birthright citizenship, so brace for lots of stories about whether they can or can’t and the legalities and the sure-to-follow lawsuits. This is all catnip for the media, of course – why do you think they sanewashed him all this while? I won’t fall for it. You don’t reward a dog for peeing on the rug.
I chose the song for the title, not the content. Springsteen was writing about how the country – not just the government, not just the plutocrats, all society – writes off the downtrodden, even those with deep American roots. The American motto seems to be that cartoon caption, “I don’t have to outrun the bear, I just have to outrun you.”
Fiddle player Amanda Shires and then-husband Jason Isbell cut this version of the song in 2014 for “Dead Man’s Town,” a cut-for-cut tribute to Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” LP. Isbell said, “When you listen to the demo, the dark, minor key arrangement makes it clear that this is not strictly a song of celebration. We wanted to stay true to that version.”
Shires said, “I love that the song paints a picture of struggle in the face of the American dream, and the irony in the chorus is delivered with such force that it nearly transcends irony altogether.”
This is the demo version Isbell was referring to. Springsteen recorded it at the same time as the songs that turned into the “Nebraska” LP.
