Downbound Train
Encyclopedia
"Downbound Train" is a song that appears on the 1984 Bruce Springsteen
album Born in the U.S.A.
. The song is a lament to a lost spouse, and takes on a melancholy tone.
The song was recorded in March or April of 1982 at the Power Station
in one of the first sessions for the Born in the U.S.A. album. Like several other Born in the U.S.A. songs, including "Working on the Highway
" and the title track
, a solo acoustic version of "Downbound Train" was originally recorded on the demo that eventually became the Nebraska
album.
Though it was not one of the seven singles released from said album, the song nevertheless gained something of a following, with some album-oriented rock
radio airplay and being featured fairly regularly on the Born in the U.S.A. Tour
and sporadically in tours since. It has been played about 130 times through 2008. Springsteen biographer Dave Marsh
did not approve, calling "Downbound Train" in his volume Glory Days "the
weakest song [Springsteen]'s released since the second album, ... incredibly sloppy
... The protagonist's three jobs in five verses are only
symptomatic of its problems." Other observers analysed it in retrospect as a harbinger, with naturalistic imagery lacing the song throughout in an approach that Springsteen would return to heavily in his Dylan
-"Series of Dreams"-influenced early 1990s.
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
album Born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A. is the seventh studio album by American rock singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on June 4, 1984. A critical and commercial triumph, it found Springsteen marking a departure in his sound...
. The song is a lament to a lost spouse, and takes on a melancholy tone.
The song was recorded in March or April of 1982 at the Power Station
Avatar Studios
Avatar Studios, formerly known as The Power Station, is a recording studio at 441 West 53rd Street in Manhattan, New York City.The building was originally a Consolidated Edison power plant; but after a period of vacancy, it was used as a sound stage for the television game show Let's Make a Deal...
in one of the first sessions for the Born in the U.S.A. album. Like several other Born in the U.S.A. songs, including "Working on the Highway
Working on the Highway
"Working on the Highway" is a 1984 song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen. It was released on the album Born in the U.S.A. and has remained a popular concert song for Springsteen and the E Street Band....
" and the title track
Born in the U.S.A. (song)
"Born in the U.S.A." is a 1984 song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen. Taken from the album of the same name, it is one of his best-known singles. Rolling Stone ranked the song 275th on their list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". In 2001, the RIAA's Songs of the Century placed...
, a solo acoustic version of "Downbound Train" was originally recorded on the demo that eventually became the Nebraska
Nebraska (album)
-Themes:The album begins with "Nebraska", a first-person narrative based on the true story of 19-year-old spree killer Charles Starkweather and his 14-year-old girlfriend, Caril Ann Fugate, and ends with "Reason to Believe", a complex narrative that renders its title phrase into contemptuous sarcasm...
album.
Though it was not one of the seven singles released from said album, the song nevertheless gained something of a following, with some album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists.-Music played:Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles...
radio airplay and being featured fairly regularly on the Born in the U.S.A. Tour
Born in the U.S.A. Tour
The Born in the U.S.A. Tour was the supporting concert tour of Bruce Springsteen's massively popular Born in the U.S.A. album. It was his longest and most successful tour to date. It featured a physically transformed Springsteen. After two years of bodybuilding, Springsteen had bulked up...
and sporadically in tours since. It has been played about 130 times through 2008. Springsteen biographer Dave Marsh
Dave Marsh
Dave Marsh is an American music critic, author, editor and radio talk show host. He was a formative editor of Creem magazine, has written for various publications such as Newsday, The Village Voice, and Rolling Stone, and has published numerous books about music and musicians, mostly focused on...
did not approve, calling "Downbound Train" in his volume Glory Days "the
weakest song [Springsteen]'s released since the second album, ... incredibly sloppy
... The protagonist's three jobs in five verses are only
symptomatic of its problems." Other observers analysed it in retrospect as a harbinger, with naturalistic imagery lacing the song throughout in an approach that Springsteen would return to heavily in his Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
-"Series of Dreams"-influenced early 1990s.