Stolen Car (Bruce Springsteen song)
Encyclopedia
"Stolen Car" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen
and the E Street Band
. It was originally released on his fifth album, The River. The version released on The River was recorded at The Power Station
in New York
in January 1980.
and "Wreck on the Highway
", mark a new direction in Bruce Springsteen's songwriting. These ballads, imbued with a sense of hopelessness, foreshadow his next album, Nebraska
. Like "The River", "Stolen Car" is an inner-directed, psychological song that deals with a failing marriage. The protagonist of "Stolen Car" is driven by his loneliness to car theft, hoping to get caught but fearing to just disappear. Essentially, he wants to get arrested just to prove he exists. Alternatively, "driving a stolen car" can be viewed as a metaphor for living in a false, failed marriage where "getting caught" would require admitting this failure to himself, friends and family. The fear of disappearing into the darkness is really the fear of not "getting caught" and instead spending the rest of his life living a lie, leaving nothing real behind.
The recording uses minimal backing, with soft piano
and synthesizer
punctuated by tympani-like drums. Springsteen's biographer Dave Marsh
wrote that the recording fades away "without a nuance of reluctance. There is nothing more here—just a waste of life and a man brave or stupid enough to watch it trickle away." Bruce Springsteen himself has noted that "Stolen Car" is one of the songs reflecting a shift in his songwriting style, linking The River to Nebraska. He has also stated that the protagnist was the character whose progress he would be following on the Tunnel of Love
album, and that he served as the archetype
for the male role in future songs Springsteen wrote about men and women.
"Stolen Car" and another song from The River, "Drive All Night", played a key role in setting the tone of the 1997 film Cop Land
.
A slow moving song, "Stolen Car" has not been particularly common in concert, with 54 performances in Bruce Springsteen concerts through 2008, with most of those performances having occurred during the 1980–1981 River Tour
.
The aggregation of critics' lists at acclaimedmusic.net did not place this song in its list of the top 3000 songs of all time, but rated it as one of the 1980
songs "bubbling under" the top 3000. The song has also been listed as one of the all time great songs in Toby Creswell's "1001 songs" and as one of the 7500 most important songs from 1944 through 2000 by Bruce Pollock.
in July 1979. This version was originally intended to be released on a single album that was to be released in 1979 and called The Ties That Bind. This album was eventually scrapped and expanded to become the double album The River. In this process, "Stolen Car" was rerecorded in the version released on The River.
The version of the song on Tracks has a different, less haunting, instrumentation and a somewhat quicker pace than The River version. But the main difference is the lyrics. The Tracks version includes three additional verses in which the protagonist recalls the good days of his marriage and regains hope. He renews his marriage vows but as he kisses his wife at the end of the ceremony, the feelings of hopelessness return and he resumes his desperate driving of stolen cars hoping to get caught. The lyrics of this version also include river imagery used in some other songs on The River, including the title track
and "Hungry Heart
".
for her 2002 album, 1000 Kisses
. Another cover version was also recorded by Elliott Murphy
.
The British band The Manhattan Love Suicides also did a cover. A cover by Owen (band)
was included on the Japanese edition of At Home With Owen
.
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
and the E Street Band
E Street Band
The E Street Band has been rock musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972.The band has also recorded with a wide range of other artists including Bob Dylan, Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, Air Supply, Dire Straits, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Nicks, Tom Morello, Sting, Ian...
. It was originally released on his fifth album, The River. The version released on The River was recorded 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 New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in January 1980.
History
"Stolen Car", along with a few other songs on The River including the title trackThe River (Bruce Springsteen song)
"The River" is a song written and recorded by Bruce Springsteen, accompanied by the E Street Band. It was the title track of his fifth album, The River, and was a hit single in parts of Europe. It reached #25 in the Netherlands, and reached the top 10 in both Sweden and Norway...
and "Wreck on the Highway
Wreck on the Highway
"Wreck on the Highway" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. It was originally released as the final track on his fifth album, The River...
", mark a new direction in Bruce Springsteen's songwriting. These ballads, imbued with a sense of hopelessness, foreshadow his next album, 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...
. Like "The River", "Stolen Car" is an inner-directed, psychological song that deals with a failing marriage. The protagonist of "Stolen Car" is driven by his loneliness to car theft, hoping to get caught but fearing to just disappear. Essentially, he wants to get arrested just to prove he exists. Alternatively, "driving a stolen car" can be viewed as a metaphor for living in a false, failed marriage where "getting caught" would require admitting this failure to himself, friends and family. The fear of disappearing into the darkness is really the fear of not "getting caught" and instead spending the rest of his life living a lie, leaving nothing real behind.
The recording uses minimal backing, with soft piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
punctuated by tympani-like drums. Springsteen's 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...
wrote that the recording fades away "without a nuance of reluctance. There is nothing more here—just a waste of life and a man brave or stupid enough to watch it trickle away." Bruce Springsteen himself has noted that "Stolen Car" is one of the songs reflecting a shift in his songwriting style, linking The River to Nebraska. He has also stated that the protagnist was the character whose progress he would be following on the Tunnel of Love
Tunnel of Love (album)
Tunnel of Love is the eighth studio album by Bruce Springsteen released in 1987.In 1998, Q magazine readers voted Tunnel of Love the 91st greatest album of all time....
album, and that he served as the archetype
Archetype
An archetype is a universally understood symbol or term or pattern of behavior, a prototype upon which others are copied, patterned, or emulated...
for the male role in future songs Springsteen wrote about men and women.
"Stolen Car" and another song from The River, "Drive All Night", played a key role in setting the tone of the 1997 film Cop Land
Cop Land
Cop Land is a 1997 American drama film written and directed by James Mangold. It features an ensemble cast including Sylvester Stallone, Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel and Ray Liotta.-Plot:...
.
A slow moving song, "Stolen Car" has not been particularly common in concert, with 54 performances in Bruce Springsteen concerts through 2008, with most of those performances having occurred during the 1980–1981 River Tour
The River Tour
The River Tour was a concert tour featuring Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band that took place in 1980 and 1981, beginning concurrently with the release of Springsteen's album The River.-Itinerary:...
.
The aggregation of critics' lists at acclaimedmusic.net did not place this song in its list of the top 3000 songs of all time, but rated it as one of the 1980
1980 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1980.-January–March:*January 1**Cliff Richard is appointed an MBE by Elizabeth II.**The Zorros audition drummer Greg Pedley....
songs "bubbling under" the top 3000. The song has also been listed as one of the all time great songs in Toby Creswell's "1001 songs" and as one of the 7500 most important songs from 1944 through 2000 by Bruce Pollock.
Alternate version
An alternate version of the song exists that was released on the album Tracks. This version, sometimes referred to as the "Son you may kiss the bride" version of the song, was recorded at The Power StationAvatar 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 July 1979. This version was originally intended to be released on a single album that was to be released in 1979 and called The Ties That Bind. This album was eventually scrapped and expanded to become the double album The River. In this process, "Stolen Car" was rerecorded in the version released on The River.
The version of the song on Tracks has a different, less haunting, instrumentation and a somewhat quicker pace than The River version. But the main difference is the lyrics. The Tracks version includes three additional verses in which the protagonist recalls the good days of his marriage and regains hope. He renews his marriage vows but as he kisses his wife at the end of the ceremony, the feelings of hopelessness return and he resumes his desperate driving of stolen cars hoping to get caught. The lyrics of this version also include river imagery used in some other songs on The River, including the title track
The River (Bruce Springsteen song)
"The River" is a song written and recorded by Bruce Springsteen, accompanied by the E Street Band. It was the title track of his fifth album, The River, and was a hit single in parts of Europe. It reached #25 in the Netherlands, and reached the top 10 in both Sweden and Norway...
and "Hungry Heart
Hungry Heart
"Hungry Heart" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen on his fifth album, The River. It was released as the album's first single in 1980 and became Springsteen's first big hit of his own on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.-History:...
".
Other artists
A cover version of "Stolen Car" was recorded by Patty GriffinPatty Griffin
Patty Griffin, born Patricia Jean Griffin, March 16, 1964, is an American Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter and musician. She is especially known for her down-home crafting of songs and her connection to musicians including Emmylou Harris, Ellis Paul, and the Dixie Chicks, who have played with...
for her 2002 album, 1000 Kisses
1000 Kisses
1000 Kisses is Patty Griffin's third commercially released album. It was released on April 9, 2002.The album reached a peak of number 101 on the Billboard 200 chart resulting in a number one peak on the Top Heatseekers chart. According to Billboard the album has sold 151,000 copies in the U.S...
. Another cover version was also recorded by Elliott Murphy
Elliott Murphy
Elliott James Murphy is an American rock singer-songwriter, novelist, producer and journalist living in Paris.-Biography:Elliott James Murphy, Jr. was born in Rockville Centre, New York to a show business family...
.
The British band The Manhattan Love Suicides also did a cover. A cover by Owen (band)
Owen (band)
Owen is a solo project of Mike Kinsella, and part of the Chicago indie scene.Kinsella is one of the dominant and influential figures in the Chicago indie scene, having also led the band American Football, and played in the bands Cap'n Jazz, Joan of Arc and Owls .Owen is known for its soft melodies,...
was included on the Japanese edition of At Home With Owen
At Home with Owen
At Home With Owen is the fourth full-length studio album by Chicago artist Mike Kinsella under the name Owen. It was released on November 7, 2006, on Polyvinyl Records.-Track listing:#"Bad News" – 6:30 #"The Sad Waltzes of Pietro Crespi" – 3:13...
.