"AMERICAN LAND" - FROM AN EARLIER PERFORMANCE - NOT LAST NIGHT
Well, The Boss did play to the left as I thought, but he also played to the right and to the heart and mind as well, in a way that only he can do. The band put a glorious end to the show with "American Land" from the Seeger album. A truly wonderful song about what this nations history is all about.
The set list (listed below) included some older classics like "Candy's Room", "She's the One" and "Spirit in the Night" ,as well as a sprinkling of the traditional headliners "Prove It All Night", "Promised Land", "Badlands", and back to back the two greatest rock and roll songs of all time "Thunder Road" and "Born to Run".
Ledra was glad when he played "Dancing in the Dark" since, as she said, it's the only song he does that she knows all the words to. My advice as always, is to learn the words, they're not hard to find. It would cement his well earned reputation as the greatest, most-prolific, most socially relevant songwriter of all time, as well as the best live performer in rock and roll history.
The offerings from "Magic" were awesome, "Living in the Future" was rocking, "Devil's Arcade" with it's drilling down of the devastating effects of war on the individual was the best of the message songs. "Last to Die" was very good followed by "Long Walk Home".
The Boss played to the crowd as usual, posing for pictures as he played to the back of the stage and keeping every area of the arena involved and engaged. It must have been on the set list to start, but a 12-year old boy in the front row had a sign that said "play Thunder Road" and Bruce recognized the kid and his family before introducing the song, which was the first encore.
The crowd was quite a mix of folks my age and older (to be expected) as well as a surprising number that did not appear to have been born when "Born to Run was released. A tribute to the Boss and the bands staying power. A woman in front of us brought her son, to witness and it appeared as if a guy behind us brought his daughter, or maybe he just has an oversupply of Viagra and a six-figure income. But it was cool to see parents bring their kids to pass on the bands legacy rather than just tell them about it because, I've always felt, a Springsteen concert needs to be experienced in person to be truly appreciated. Words or reviews just do not do it justice.
Again, I thought "American Land" just brought the house down and concluded another awesome Springsteen concert. The Boss still rules. Bruce for President!!!
Setlist:
Radio Nowhere
Prove It All Night
Lonesome Day
Gypsy Biker
Magic
Reason to Believe
Candy's Room
She's the One
Livin' in the Future
The Promised Land
Tunnel of Love
Spirit in the Night
Darlington County
Devil's Arcade
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
ENCORES:
Thunder Road
Born to Run
Dancing in the Dark
American Land
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American Land Notes:
AMERICAN LAND©
Live 22 Jun 2006 version
What is this land of America, so many travel there
I'm going now while I'm still young, my darling meet me there
Wish me luck my lovely, I'll send for you when I can
And we'll make our home in the American land
Over there all the woman wear silk and satin to their knees*
And children dear, the sweets, I hear, are growing on the trees*
Gold comes rushing out the river straight into your hands*
If you make your home in the American land*
There's diamonds in the sidewalks, there's gutters lined in song
Dear I hear that beer flows through the faucets all night long
There's treasure for the taking, for any hard working man
Who will make his home in the American land
I docked at Ellis Island in a city of light and spire
I wandered to the valley of red-hot steel and fire****
We made the steel that built the cities with the sweat of our two hands
And I made my home in the American land
There's diamonds in the sidewalk, there's gutters lined in song
Dear I hear that beer flows through the faucets all night long
There's treasure for the taking, for any hard working man
Who will make his home in the American land
The McNicholas, the Posalski's, the Smiths, Zerillis too**
The Blacks, the Irish, the Italians, the Germans and the Jews
The Puerto Ricans, illegals, the Asians, Arabs miles from home***-*****
Come across the water with a fire down below******
They died building the railroads, worked to bones and skin
They died in the fields and factories, names scattered in the wind
They died to get here a hundred years ago, they're dyin' now
The hands that built the country we're all trying to keep down
There's diamonds in the sidewalk, there's gutters lined in song
Dear I hear that beer flows through the faucets all night long
There's treasure for the taking, for any hard working man
Who will make his home in the American land
Who will make his home in the American land
Who will make his home in the American land
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On the last 3 shows of the Summer 2006 US leg of The Seeger Sessions tour, Bruce opened the set with a new song referred to as AMERICAN LAND:
22 Jun 2006 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY (the above lyrics refer to that performance)
24 Jun 2006 at PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ
25 Jun 2006 at PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ (* this verse was omitted on this show)
AMERICAN LAND was reported to be rehearsed with the Seeger Sessions band on 19 Sep 2006 at the Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ, during the fall 2006 European leg private rehearsals. The song was the show closer for every show during that fall 2006 leg.
** "Zirilli" is Bruce's mother's surname from Italy. Thanks Stefano Barbero for noting this.
** On 19 Oct 2006 at Plaza De Toros Las Ventas, Madrid, Spain, Springsteen also added "the Spanish". Thanks Pa for that note.
** On 30 Oct 2006 at Globe Arena, Stockholm, Sweden, Springsteen replaces "the Jews" by "the Swedes". Thanks Björn Dahlman for that note.
This live 22 Jun 2006 version of the song was released on We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions - American Land Edition in Oct 2006.
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Springsteen wrote " American Land " and performed it in New York and New Jersey . The song was inspired by "He Lies in the American Land ," a poem by a Slovakian immigrant steelworker that Pete Seeger later translated and set to music.
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http://bruce.orel.ws/seegersessions/songs/american_land.html
American Land is an original Bruce Springsteen composition. There are no prior recordings of this song.
Notes: In 1947, Andrew Kovaly taught Pete Seeger a song he had written in Slovakian, called "I Lie in the American Land ." The song told the true story of a co-worker of Kovaly's who had immigrated to Pittsburgh from Slovakia, saved enough money to send for his family, but was killed in a mine accident before the family arrived. Seeger recorded an English version of the song, called "He Lies in the American Land "; that song inspired the story told in Bruce Springsteen's " American Land ."
The music for " American Land " is Celtic in feel. Although no specific song has been identified as an inspiration for the melody, " American Land " bears a strong resemblence to the traditional Scottish song "Gallant Forty-Twa".
Click http://www.chivalry.com/cantaria/sounds/gal40twa.mp3
for a performance of "Gallant Forty-Twa" by Plain Salt.
Bruce Springsteen first performed " American Land " towards the end of his US Tour supporting "The Seeger Sessions, and released " American Land " on "The Seeger Sessions American Land Edition."
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