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♪ ♪ ♪ >> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY,
WE'RE BACK WITH BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, WHOSE NEW ALBUM
"LETTER TO YOU" COMES OUT THIS FRIDAY.
BRUCE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ALSO STRUCK ME ABOUT THE
DOCUMENTARY IS YOU SPEAK OF THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT YOU WORK WITH,
YOU SPEAK OF SO MANY OF THE SUBJECTS THAT YOU'RE TALKING
ABOUT, NOT JUST IN YOUR LYRICS BUT IN YOUR NARRATION AND
TALKING ABOUT YOUR LIFE WITH EXTRAORDINARY TENDERNESS.
AND YOU'VE OFTEN, YOU KNOW, SHOWN TENDERNESS IN YOUR LYRICS.
BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS, AS YOU STAND ON THOSE TRAIN TRACKS
LOOKING AT THE TRAIN LIGHT COMING DOWN THE TRACTION, AS YOU
SAY IN THE DOCUMENTARY, YOU GET TO A POINT IN YOUR LIFE WHEN
YOU'RE AWARE OF YOUR MORTALITY.
>> SURE, YEAH.
>> Stephen: HAS THAT MADE YOU MORE TENDER.
>> I DON'T KNOW.
I THINK YOU END UP BEING A LITTLE MORE FORGIVING, YOU KNOW,
OF FOLKS WHO MAY HAVE CROSSED YOUR PATH OR FOR ONE REASON OR
ANOTHER YOU'VE HELD YOUR GRUDGES.
AND IT GOES FOR THE WHOLE BAND.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE WHEN YOU LIVE WITH PEOPLE FOR 50
YEARS THERE'S THINGS THEY CAN'T STAND ABOUT YOU, THERE ARE
THINGS YOU DON'T LIKE ABOUT THEM.
HEY, MAN, BACK IN 1975, THIS HAPPENED.
AND IT'S 2015, AND SOMEBODY'S JUST BEGINNING TO B TALK ABOUT I
ALL OF THE HUMAN CONUNDRUM THAT YOU WOULD EXPECT EXISTS IN OUR
BAND.
BUT WE HAVE HAD A GREATER RESPECT FOR THE INTEGRITY OF OUR
SHIP THAN OUR PERSONAL GRUDGES.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE STILL HERE, YOU KNOW.
AND THAT HAS HELD FOR EVERY BAND MEMBER, AND WILL HOLD AS LONG AS
EVERY BAND MEMBER FEELS LIKE THAT, THAT THE INTEGRITY OF OUR
SHIP, ITS SEAWORTHINESS, AND THE MISSION THAT WE'RE ON TAKES
PRECEDENCE OVER PERSONAL GRUDGE.
>> Stephen: ARE YOU A SAILOR, BRUCE?
DO YOU SAIL?
>> YOU KNOW, I DO NOT.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: ONE OF THE-- ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT THE ALBUM IS
IT-- IT, YOU KNOW, IT UNDOUBTEDLY SOUNDS LIKE YOU.
I HEAR YOUR VOICE.
I HEAR THE SOUND OF THE BAND.
AND-- AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S IN KEEPING WITH THE HISTORY OF YOUR
SOUND.
BUT THEN YOU PLAY A SONG-- YOU PLAY "IF I WAS A PRIEST," IS ONE
OF THE THREE SONGS YOU WROTE IN 1972.
"IF I WAS A PRIEST," OKAY, THAT SOUNDS DIFFERENT THAN THE NEW
SONGS, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU.
THERE'S NO MISTAKING THAT'S ALSO YOU.
WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THAT MAN
WRITING IN 1972, OR WHAT THAT MAN WROTE IN 1972, AND WHAT THAT
MAN IS WRITING NOW?
>> YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE "YOUS" ARE IN ONE CAR.
AND AS YOU GET OLDER YOU ADD ANOTHER ONE.
YOU ADD THE YOU THAT'S 60.
YOU ADD THE YOU THAT'S 70.
YOU HAVE THE YOU THAT'S 30 IN THE CAR.
YOU HAVE THE YOU THAT'S 24 YEARS OLD AND FIRST SIGNED-- ALL OF
THOSE FOLKS ARE IN THE CAR THAT YOU'RE DRIVING.
SO A LOT OF IT DEPENDS, OF COURSE, AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT, ON
WHO'S AT THE WHEEL, YOU KNOW.
AND SO, I CAN-- CONSEQUENTLY, I CAN PULL UP DIFFERENT PARTS OF
MY INTERNAL LIFE AND MY INTERNAL HISTORY, AND I CAN GO TO THOSE
MOMENTS AND FIND SOMETHING IN COMMON WITH THAT VOICE THAT
CONNECTS-- IT'S A BIT OF A TIME TRIP, YOU KNOW.
IT CONNECTS FROM THAT MOMENT AND LAYS A BOND THROUGH ALL THOSE
YEARS TO WHO YOU ARE RIGHT NOW.
SO I COULD GO BACK TO SONGS THAT I WROTE WHEN I WAS 22 YEARS OLD,
AND I COULD FIND A VOICE TO SING THEM IN AT 70, YOU KNOW.
SO THEY WERE A LOT OF FUN BECAUSE I DON'T WRITE LYRICS
LIKE THAT ANYMORE, AND I LOVE THAT WRITING STYLE, AND I WISH I
HADN'T ABANDONED IT SO SOON.
BUT I WAS VERY SELF-CONSCIOUS ABOUT THE DYLAN COMPARISONS SO I
MOVED AWAY FROM IT RATHER QUICKLY.
BUT LOOKING BACK ON IT, I KIND OF HAVE MY OWN-- MY OWN
DYLAN-ESQUE STYLE THAT WAS A LOT OF FUN, REALLY UNINHIBITED,
REALLY KIND OF JUST LETTING-- OPENING THE DAM AND LETTING THE
WORDS SPILL OUT.
THAT HAD A LOT OF JOY AND A LOT OF-- AND A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF
DEPTH IN IT.
SO THOSE SONGS WERE FUN TO GO BACK TO AND TO RECORD ON THIS
RECORD.
>> Stephen: IN THE DOCUMENTARY, CLIVE DAVIS SAYS TO
YOU THAT DYLAN SAID TO HIM AFTER HE LISTENED TO "GREETINGS FROM
ASBURY PARK" HE BETTER BE CAREFUL OR HE MIGHT GO THROUGH
EVERY WORD IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.
HE MIGHT RUN OUT OF WORDS."
HE SHOULD TALK.
HE SHOULD TALK.
BUT-- AND YOU TOOK THAT AS LIKE, WELL, I TOOK THAT ADVICE TO
HEART BECAUSE HE WAS MY MENTOR.
THE LAST TIME WE WERE TOGETHER I ASKED YOU TO NAME THE TOP FIVE
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN SONGS, ACCORDING TO BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: GIVE ME YOUR TOP THREE DYLAN SONGS ACCORDING TO
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN.
>> OH, THAT'S REALLY HARD.
THAT'S REALLY, REALLY HARD.
>> Stephen: THIS IS THE FINAL ROUND OF THE COMPETITION, BRUCE.
THIS IS FOR ALL THE MONEY.
>> YOU'VE GOT TO PUT "LIKE A ROLLING STONE" IN THERE JUST
BECAUSE IT'S A HISTORY CULTURE-CHANGING PIECE OF MUSIC.
AND IT'S ALSO SIMPLY AWE FANTASTIC ROCK 'N' ROLL SONG.
SO THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PUT IN THERE.
"VISIONS OF JOHANNA," IS A BIG SONG FOR ME.
BUT I ALSO LIKE "RING THEMBLES" FROM-- I FORGET THE ALBUM IT'S
FROM.
I LOOK ALL OF JOHN WESLEY HARDEN, SO IT'S HARD TO PICK
ONE.
LET ME THINK...
>> Stephen: HOW ABOUT A SINGLE LINE-- YOU'VE GIVEN ME THREE
ALREADY.
WHAT'S THE FIRST DYLAN LINE THAT JUMPS OUT TO YOU?
>> YOU KNOW, THE FIRST LINE...
"ONCE UPON A TIME A GIRL SO FINE THREW THE BUMS A DIME IN THEIR
PRIME DIDN'T YOU."
THAT WAS LIKE-- YOU WERE HOOKED.
YOU WERE INTO THAT STORY SO INTENSELY AND SO QUICKLY.
THAT'S THE ONE THAT IMMEDIATELY COMES TO MY MIND.
>> Stephen: NOT THAT YOU'RE ASKING BUT MINE IS MY "MY
WEARINESS AMAZES ME.
I AM BRANDED ON MY FEET."
IT'S SIMPLE, BUT "BRANDED ON MY FEET."
>> THAT'S DAMN GOOD.
>> Stephen: I'VE BEEN THERE A LOT.
>> THAT'S DAMN GOOD!
>> Stephen: I'VE BEEN THERE YOUNG.
I'VE BEEN THERE OLD.
ONE MEMBER OF THE BAND, MAX WEINBERG, IS URGING PEOPLE TO
LISTEN TO THE WHOLE ALBUM.
AND, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE YOUNGSTERS WILL LOOK AT HIM LIKE
HE'S NUTS.
LISTENING TO WHOLE ALBUMS-- PEOPLE DON'T DO THAT A LOT
ANYMORE.
DO YOU RECOMMEND THE WHOLE ALBUM.
OBVIOUSLY, IT'S YOUR ALBUM, BUT DO YOU LISTEN TO A LOT OF ALBUMS
ALL THE WAY THROUGH THESE DAYS.
YOU'RE UNDER OATH.
>> I LISTEN TO ( BLEEP ) ROCK WELL.
>> Stephen: HOW ABOUT "THE GREATEST."
CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE SONG "THE GREATEST."
>> I LOVE HER WRITING AND IT'S SIN MAT AND I CAN HER NARRATIVE
IS GREAT.
THE LAST RECORD I ACTUALLY LISTENED TO ALL THE WAY THROUGH
WAS THE 45th ANNIVERSARY OF "BORN TO RUN."
SO I GOT WITH A BUDDY OF MINE, AND IT WAS, LIKE, SUNDAY MORNING
AT 11 A.M.
I SAID, "COME ON, WE'RE GOING TO JUMP IN THE CAR.
WE'RE GOING TO PLAY IT FROM TOP TO BOTTOM JUST FOR THE 45th
ANNIVERSARY."
WE GOT IN THE CAR AND STARTED DRIVING SOUTH A LITTLE BIT.
AND THE ALBUM'S RUNNING ITSELF DOWN.
AND WE GET TO ASBURY PARK, I TURN AND I COME UP KINGSLEY
AVENUE, JUST AS "BORN TO RUN" HITS, DOWN PAST THE STONE PONY,
PAST CONVENTION HALL, INTO DEAL, INTO WEST LONG BRANCH TO 7 AND A
HALF WEST END COURT, JUST AS THE INTRO TO "JUNGLE LAND" HITS, I'M
PARKED IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE I WROTE ALL THE SONGS FOR "BORN TO
RUN."
THAT WAS FUN.
>> Stephen: WOW, WOW.
>> SO I THINK IT'S FUN LISTENING TO RECORDS ALL THE WAY THROUGH
JUST BECAUSE THEY-- THERE'S A GREATER STORY-- THEY'RE ALWAYS
MORE THAN THE SUM OF THEIR PARTS.
AND A GREATER STORY TO TELL.
I WOULD SUGGEST PEOPLE LISTEN TO THIS ONE ALL THE WAY THROUGH,
TOO.
YOU'LL HAVE A BIGGER EXPERIENCE.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE ONE MORE BREAK, BUT WHEN WE COME
BACK, MAYBE-- MAYBE BRUCE WILL PLAY ONE OF THOSE GUITARS.
YOU NEVER KNOW.