In spite of all this land, why isn't the US population hunkered down on the Eastern seaboard? Because apparently we're wired differently. As soon as new territories opened up to the west, something in the American DNA pushed us to the frontier. According to that old School House Rock hit, "Elbow Room", we like our space. So we set out. First on foot, then on horse, then on train. Then came the automobile. Henry Ford's mass produced brainchild gave us unsurpassed freedom of movement. It allowed us to freely and independently explore every nook and cranny of our immense country. We could all climb in the car and drive six hours to grandma's house for Thanksgiving, or a couple of days to the beach for vacation, or across the country for a better job.
Yup. When tough times came and we found ourselves in dire straits, our automobiles became our refuge of last resort. Pack a few bags, toss them in the trunk, and hit the road. A fresh start beckoned just around the corner and over the next hill.
Bruce Springsteen released "Thunder Road" on his 1975 album, Born to Run. A huge fan favorite and one of Springsteen's most performed songs, it embodies our relationship with our cars. The song's narrative unfolds of someone disillusioned with his life in a dead end town, and he tries desperately to convince his best girl to hop in his car and join him in his search of a new beginning. As the song crescendos near the end, the sense of hope of what's down that stretch of two lane is almost palpable.
1 comment:
I actually wrote a college Lit paper on that song. It was in a class that explored the loner/wanderer in American literature and music.
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