Does ‘The Wrestler’ contain the worst lyric Bruce Springsteen has ever written?
Bruce Springsteen once proudly called Bob Dylan the “father of my country” because of his incredibly moving lyricism.
He was already a big fan of rock music after hearing The Beatles. His dream was to become a rock star, but he didn’t know what kind of music he wanted to actually make. That didn’t present itself until he started listening to Bob Dylan, and Springsteen realised just how much lyrics could achieve. They didn’t just help provide a narrative to songs, but they could reveal things about family, the world, politics and society as a whole.
“I was very influenced by Dylan,” admitted Springsteen, “I always say he’s the father of my country. He initially provided me with a picture of a country that I recognised. One that feels real, feels like the truth.”
Springsteen decided that he wanted to do something similar with his music, and so he would write about every single emotion and theme that he could think of when he began making music. You can hear it in his wonderful array of songs, which talk about life, parties, politics and the world as a whole. His music is still celebrated by those who listen today, and it’s because of his ability to really tap into the hearts and minds of those who listen.
It’s for this reason that a few filmmakers decided to ask Springsteen for help when writing the soundtracks for films. Film soundtracks are incredibly important when it comes to making a decent motion picture. You could have the best actors and best script in the world, but if the music doesn’t align with what you’re trying to make, the audience will undoubtedly check out. You’d be surprised just how many films have failed to become classics because they didn’t have the right music propping them up. Where’s Bruce Springsteen when you need him?
When Mickey Rourke was working on his film The Wrestler, he knew that he was onto something special, but he still needed some music. Rourke was feeling more confident than usual as he was surrounded by good people and was working at the heart of what he knew was going to be something special. If not for these factors, he might have never contacted Springsteen, but he was feeling invincible.
“The only reason I wrote Bruce Springsteen a letter was because after about six days, I knew something magical was happening,” explained Rourke, “I felt this tremendous sense of pride and privilege to be associated with Darren [Aronofsky] and the people in this movie, and that’s what gave me the gumption to write Bruce. I told him, ‘We have no money, but we did it in New Jersey’.”
Rourke was incredibly happy with what Springsteen ended up sending him, as he felt as though it captured the heart of the film perfectly. His ability with words, music, and his innate talent to resonate with listeners was unbelievable, and Rourke was experiencing it first-hand with this song, ‘The Wrestler’.
“I had to listen to it like 100 times. He really got it,” said Rourke, “The song sums up the whole character. He did me such an honor and such a favor.”
While the song might have been good, it would be remiss of us not to mention that it also contains one of Springsteen’s worst-ever lyrics. A stopped clock is right twice a day, and a working clock will always skip a few seconds here and there. Bruce Springsteen, who usually has such a way with words, unfortunately dropped the ball slightly with this line, as he sang: “Have you ever seen a one-legged dog makin’ his way down the street?”
