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After watching some Bruce video this evening, I was wondering how many of you all have wondered the same things? Probably much has been discussed on this board over the years, of Springsteen's theology, spirituality,etc. Especially the Catholic imagery in his songs. But in live performance another religious man steps forth.
Often you see him raising his hands, both hands in fact. Watching "Live In New York City" tonite, during " freezout",he goes into the old Al Green song...."Take Me to The River" for a moment, all the while raising hands ,etc. I know it's a show and all, but no other preformer I know of ,of his status anyways, uses stage imagery in this way. Now I'm not trying to imply that he is a "closet" Jesus Freak , as people like myself were called in the 70's, but it leads me to believe that he has spent a fair bit of time invested in watching or visiting Pentacostal/Charasmatic worship services. Or at least appreciates the power in them. It's all very familiar to me......any thoughts?

one,two,three,four.........

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Also in interviews in the '80s he mentioned that he watched Jimmy Swaggart on TV. After all, Swaggart is Jerry Lee Lewis' first cousin and they both picked up their flamboyant performing styles from the same sources. As for Bruce actually visiting Pentecostal churches, I seriously doubt it.

 

"I've done my best to live the right way"

Originally Posted By: el_jefe
The gospel schtick only relates to rock and roll. It's been part of his stage show forever. Nothing more.


Now there are two words you don't see strung together everyday. He's a lapsed Catholic obviously still trying to come to terms, I seriously doubt if he's had any more exposure other than tv evangelicists. His writing indicates he's a very spiritual person, organized religion aside, the same can be said about many, many artists (and people, you're reading the rantings of one).

I agree with the previous post by SPL veteran and member-in-good-standing New York Kid, member #135.

I would just add that the religious imagery in his lyrics, paired with his gospel schtick, are idealized projections of himself, garnered from some recent marriage management, and, temporary roles he portrays as a dad with kids going through their religious schooling.

But for anyone to equate lyrics and stage behavior with the disclosed evangelical fundamentalism by the original thread poster, including the original thread poster, is a leap of faith into the great beyond.



The imagery of raising hands, falling to knees, looking skyward, shouting, stomping, clapping ? ?Cold beer at a reasonable price? ? whatever, owes more to carnival side shows than any Pentecostal service or revival meeting. Bruce is following in the long tradition of Elvis, James Brown, Chuck Berry etc.
? O. Z. Acosta
I think the Gospel shtick might be more than just a parody, tongue in the check sure, but there?s a core of seriousness to it all. Springsteen?s music has been filled with biblical images. Like the great Soul singers, who were obviously a big influence on his stage act and music, Springsteen?s music deals the sanctification of life. There might be a Christian undertone to that, but Bruce has never been really explicit on that subject. Save maybe for the use of Gospel in the Seeger Sessions. But even the Gospel songs he chose mostly dealt with self affirmation, as most of his own songs did. Maybe like those great Soul singers, as Al Green or Solomon Burke, who mainly dealt with the secular world, Bruce has one leg in the religious world as well. I think that could be one of the reasons why his shows have the tendency to feel like a religious experience some times. Bruce?s music transcends the secular, compels people to rise to the occasion, overcome their weaknesses or obstacles while connecting to very real emotions and events in our lives.
Originally Posted By: SoulBoogieAlex
Gospel shtick

OR
Originally Posted By: SoulBoogieAlex
core of seriousness to it all


____________________________________________________________

Originally Posted By: SoulBoogieAlex
tongue in the check sure

OR
Originally Posted By: SoulBoogieAlex
might be more than just a parody,


____________________________________________________________

Originally Posted By: SoulBoogieAlex
There might be a Christian undertone

OR
Originally Posted By: SoulBoogieAlex
but Bruce has never been really explicit on that subject


____________________________________________________________

Originally Posted By: SoulBoogieAlex
Springsteen?s music deals the sanctification of life

OR
Originally Posted By: SoulBoogieAlex
even the Gospel songs he chose mostly dealt with self affirmation, as most of his own songs did


____________________________________________________________

Originally Posted By: SoulBoogieAlex
tongue in the check sure

OR
Originally Posted By: SoulBoogieAlex
Bruce has one leg in the religious world

____________________________________________________________

Originally Posted By: SoulBoogieAlex
Bruce?s music transcends the secular, compels people to rise to the occasion, overcome their weaknesses or obstacles while connecting to very real emotions and events in our lives.

OR
Music by any musician that people love does that

Originally Posted By: jomuam
but it leads me to believe that he has spent a fair bit of time invested in watching or visiting Pentacostal/Charasmatic worship services. Or at least appreciates the power in them.


I have never attended a Pentacostal/Charasmatic worship services.
I have seen many example of this type of performing on TV and in movies, both Religious and Rock n Roll. I'm sure most people have.

We all recognise it because it is part of our common culture. I don't believe this style of performing indicates anything about Bruce's spirituality.
Originally Posted By: Gob
Originally Posted By: jomuam
but it leads me to believe that he has spent a fair bit of time invested in watching or visiting Pentacostal/Charasmatic worship services. Or at least appreciates the power in them.


I have never attended a Pentacostal/Charasmatic worship services.
I have seen many example of this type of performing on TV and in movies, both Religious and Rock n Roll. I'm sure most people have.

We all recognise it because it is part of our common culture. I don't believe this style of performing indicates anything about Bruce's spirituality.


Not even when you add it up to the abundance of biblical references in the rest of his work?
Originally Posted By: SoulBoogieAlex
Originally Posted By: Gob
Originally Posted By: jomuam
but it leads me to believe that he has spent a fair bit of time invested in watching or visiting Pentacostal/Charasmatic worship services. Or at least appreciates the power in them.


I have never attended a Pentacostal/Charasmatic worship services.
I have seen many example of this type of performing on TV and in movies, both Religious and Rock n Roll. I'm sure most people have.

We all recognise it because it is part of our common culture. I don't believe this style of performing indicates anything about Bruce's spirituality.


Not even when you add it up to the abundance of biblical references in the rest of his work?


What I am trying to say is that this type of performance, while it may be part of the Pentacostal/Charasmatic form of worship, it is not limited to it.
Originally Posted By: SoulBoogieAlex
I'll have to disagree. There's a lot of music I love that do not have an appeal on that level. You couldn't claim that the Ramones make such an appeal for example. The Ramones invite you to escape reality through songs as "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue". And they are but one example in the more nihilistic Punk scene.


huh?
Originally Posted By: SoulBoogieAlex
Originally Posted By: Gob
Originally Posted By: jomuam
but it leads me to believe that he has spent a fair bit of time invested in watching or visiting Pentacostal/Charasmatic worship services. Or at least appreciates the power in them.


I have never attended a Pentacostal/Charasmatic worship services.
I have seen many example of this type of performing on TV and in movies, both Religious and Rock n Roll. I'm sure most people have.

We all recognise it because it is part of our common culture. I don't believe this style of performing indicates anything about Bruce's spirituality.


Not even when you add it up to the abundance of biblical references in the rest of his work?


No. The two are separate. The schtick is an act that most of us are familiar with, regardless of your religious beliefs. Nothing else. Robin Williams does one of the best preacher/Pentacostal whatever routines I've ever seen and I would hardly equate it to his spirituality.

"I had nothing to offer anybody except my own confusion."

Originally Posted By: SoulBoogieAlex
I don't know, Bruce wouldn't be the artist we travel the world to see if he did things just for entertainment purposes. Tom Jones he's not. The shtick does more for me than purely entertainment anyway.


You give him entirely too much credit.

"I had nothing to offer anybody except my own confusion."

Were all jaded because we recognize schtick when we see it? As others have pointed out, this kind of act has been part of popular music for over a century. Minstrel shows, carnies, tent shows, in jazz, r&b, gospel, blues, rock - it's in all of them. Just listen to the music, watch videos of old performers and you'll hear and see it. Cab Calloway, Sam Cooke (listen to "Nearer to Three" on The Great 1955 Shrine Concert), Louis Jordan, Elvis, Otis Redding, James Brown (watch the TAMI show DVD) - the list goes on and on. If we're all jaded because we reocgonize where Bruce is getting it from and think that some of these people did it even better, then I'm guilty I guess.

 

"I've done my best to live the right way"

Sam Cooke....son of a Baptist minister....grew up in the church.
Otis Redding....sang in the choir of the Vineville Baptist Church.
Cab Calloway....his mother, Martha Eulalia Reed, was a teacher and church organist.
Louis Jordan .....briefly attended Baptist College in Arkansas.
James Brown....welll..... was in a group called The Gospel Starlighters.
Elvis Presly and his family ....attended the Assembly of God church.
Tom Jones....is a Welch pop singer known for wearing tight breeches.

one,two,three,four.........

Originally Posted By: smokeyjoe
That carny-preacher routine was funny during the 84 Pink Cadillacs, but since then - I'm A Coward, Light of Day, 10th Avenue, Mary's Place - it always comes off as cornball theater. All those songs would've rocked just fine without all the yelling and mugging.


Surfeit...disgust caused by excess.

one,two,three,four.........

Save Me Somebody!

Bruce Springsteen's Rock 'n' Roll Covenant


The Boss will take you to the river if you help him get there.
by Cornel Bonca


I. "The Ministry of Rock and Roll"

One night during his 1999-2000 tour with the E Street Band, midway through an elongated version of "Light of Day," Bruce Springsteen stopped the song in its tracks to make a thunderous speech, in that pseudo-evangelist voice his fans know well by now, about 'the power, the glory, the ministry of rock 'n' roll!"

Anthony DeCurtis, reporting on the opening of the tour for Rolling Stone, thought it was shtick, and "hilarious" shtick at that. But while it was hilarious, it wasn't really shtick. What Springsteen was doing was putting on a mask that enabled him to say things he wanted to say -- things he's been saying, actually, for twenty years in interviews -- without coming off as a deluded messianic rock star....
Stipped of my rand.
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