For years after 9/11, at least once a year on the anniversary of the attacks, I'd put on Bruce's album The Rising for musical comfort and courage (along with Lucy Kaplansky's "Land of the Living"). Often it would be a sunny day, the sky as incongruously clear and light as the day the towers fell, and I'd let the Boss take me through the whole landscape of post-catastrophe emotions: the rage of "Lonesome Day," the aching grief of "You're Missing," the survivor's guilt of "Nothing Man," the solace of community in "Mary's Place," the radical empathy of "Paradise," the resoluteness of the title track.
This is a different time and a different crisis, but the songs still strike a deep chord. The obvious candidate for this playlist would be "My City of Ruins," whose stirring call to "c'mon, rise up!" is probably the most familiar to many audiences -- and its pre-pandemic verses are uncannily spot-on about empty streets, churches missing their congregations, the struggle to cope with a loved one's loss.
But I'm going to go with a song that I think gets a little less attention and airplay, but is no less cathartic: "Into the Fire," Bruce's heartfelt salute to the first responders whose "love and duty called [them] someplace higher." The lyrics are specifically about the firefighters who rushed into the towers. But the chorus, which holds up their courage, compassion, and resilience as a light to kindle our own, applies just as much to all the doctors, nurses, and everyone else on the front lines today, risking their lives to keep us safe:
May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love
Here's a live performance with the E Street Band, including a beautiful extended introduction by Patti Scialfa on vocals and Soozie Tyrell on violin:
BONUS: Please visit NYC's COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund page to make donations to support healthcare workers and essential staff, as well as small businesses, displaced hourly workers (including immigrant workers), and other vulnerable New Yorkers. And whether you're in New York or elsewhere, be sure to find ways to support the courageous frontline workers where you live.
And here's "My City of Ruins," which is always worth a listen. It's always nice to see Clarence Clemons and Danny Federici, whose memories the fans will surely keep alive in their hearts.
May you find strength, faith, hope, and love to see you through this day and all the days to come.
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Listen to the Spotify playlist here.
Watch the YouTube playlist here.