Limbo. For over a year now, it’s a feeling we’ve all grown accustomed to. Mandated immobility and a seemingly endless cycle of mundane day to day tasks left me seemingly irrevocably despondent. Going through the motions became second nature as I never once stopped to think of a way out.
And then, I put on an old album. Springsteen, The Boss, Bruce, whatever you want to call him, has a way of dragging people into optimism. The penultimate track of Springsteen’s seminal album, “Dancing In The Dark”, has spoken to me clearer than any friend, family member, or therapist ever could. It reminds me that there’s something out there to work for, a goal to risk everything for.
Springsteen recognises that overbearing sullenness, that self loathing that refuses you fulfilment. But immediately, he turns that feeling on its head by demanding change.
“Man, I ain’t getting nowhere
I’m just living in a dump like this
There’s something happening somewhere
Baby, I just know that there is”
At the closure of that second verse, you’re imbued with an unwavering sense of confidence and perseverance. Dancing In The Dark is a key that unlocks me from self-imposed barriers. Just this week, I stumbled on a quirky British film called “Blinded By The Light”. The fairly straightforward coming of age story of a British-Pakistani boy is uniquely told through Springsteen’s music and philosophies. In a scene that felt all too similar, Javed, the main character, hears Dancing In The Dark at his lowest moment. Immediately, his attitude towards life shifts. Enchanting graphics of the lyrics fly around as Javed runs around the neighbourhood realising there’s more to life than what he’s made of it. It catalyses his defiance against racist bullies, his rebellion against his overbearing father, and his confidence to win over a girl.
When I was in elementary school, a friend of mine and I used to yell the lyrics of “Glory Days” across the neighbourhood. Even then, some self aware notion of my over indulgent sense of nostalgia persisted in the back of my head. I knew that those carefree summers of mischief and sport would live long in my memory. And now, more than a decade later, singing along to Springsteen helps me relive the best days while yearning for better ones to come.