Song Spotlight - "Glory Days"

Key Live Performance



Sure, they cut a verse from this performance, but I feel Bruce truly gave "Glory Days" the performance it deserves at the Super Bowl back in 2009.  We have the lyrics changed up to make it more about football; we have an extended back-and-forth with Little Steve, and we have tons and tons of fireworks.  It completely fits the over-the-top nature of the album version of the song.

Key Lyrics

"Yeah, just sitting back trying to recapture
a little of the glory of, well time slips away
and leaves you with nothing mister but

boring stories of glory days"

As spotlighted before, "Glory Days" is one of those songs that is often misinterpreted due to its happy beat.  If you were just to read the lyrics of this song, you'd think it was a somber dirge from a man on the verge of suicide.  However, the musical accompaniment puts a completely different spin on the lyrics, and the song's narration takes a completely different turn.  Now, you get the feeling that, while the narrator is sad, he is also grateful for the life he led in the past.  It's a unique mix of emotions rarely found in songs played during the Super Bowl.  

Overall

Personally, I've never been a big fan of "Glory Days".  While I don't actively dislike it, it is probably my least favorite of Springsteen's major hits (again, the fans would seem to agree with me, as it only came in at 69th on the top 100 Springsteen songs).  Like "Born In The U.S.A.", the song is very repetitive and has been played so many times that I can't fathom a moment where I'd say, "You know what song I'm in the mood to listen to?  'Glory Days'!"  That being said, it is one of my go-to Springsteen karaoke songs, and is in one of my all-time favorite episodes of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia.  This is why we've spent a month talking about this album: even the weaker songs have their bright spots.