“Think I’m going down to the well tonight
And I’m gonna drink till I get my fill”
- Glory Days, Born in the U.S.A.
In one of Bruce’s songs where the narrator is more self-aware than usual, this line always strikes me as the pathetic comment of a sad sack whose life is passing him by. Ironically, the lyrics have also been adopted as a rally cry for countless drunkards on Friday nights for the past 20 years.
Like so many of Bruce’s songs, the upbeat tone and fast rhythm mask the downbeat lyrics and people frequently misinterpret this song as a fond remembrance of the good ol’ teenage days when it’s really about failing to seize the day because you’re too busy thinking about the past with rosy-tinted glasses.
Bruce does his bit to foster the misappropriation with his “Come on boys, keep it rockin’ now” riffing as the music fades out. Which raises a question, for another post, does Bruce make his songs too easy to misinterpret?
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