Monday, September 23, 2013

Meet Me At Mary's Place

Bruce turned sixty-four today. I don't even have to say his last name. You know who I'm talking about. Bruce. The Boss. That man.
And what in hell can I say about Bruce Springsteen that hasn't been said? What can I say about Bruce Springsteen that I myself haven't said?
Not a damn thing.

But I tell you something and I'm probably repeating myself- there are few people on this planet who are able to bring the joy that Bruce Springsteen has brought to others. I have a theory that there's only a handful of those people alive at one time. Or maybe I'm wrong. I don't know. I just know that he's surely brought me my share of joy. And he's given me something with his music, his words, to hold on to when very little else did. I am but one of so very many who can probably say that.  I call that a Holy Man doing Holy Work. And you know why I think he's able to give so much joy? Because he is just flat-out fucking filled with it.
And despair. He knows about that. But he knows about how joy can lift you up and carry you through it, just as crowds lift him up and carry him over their heads and return him gently and joyfully to the stage. How can you trust someone who promises you joy if they don't know anything about despair? I don't think you can. I can't, anyway.

Ah hell. It's been a good day and I feel like it's been one of those blessed days. I don't even need to go into it because it's all been the tiny, little things that make a day better than usual. Just...good.
And it's Bruce's birthday.
Sixty-four years old, huh, Bruce? And looking fine. Looking extremely and very fine. Not for a sixty-four year old but for an anything-year old. Jesus.


Yeah, he's the guy on the right.

I love the name Mary, which is my own name, and Bruce has given me another reason to love it over the years because he's used that name for so many of the women in his songs. I think he probably does that because he was raised Catholic and Mary may represent the Universal Woman to him but I can choose, if I want to, to think that he's singing to me.
The screen door slams, Mary your dress waves....

I remember listening to his album, The Rising, which was released in 2002 and which I think is one of his most powerful. He wrote it after 9/11 and I wondered how it was going to be. How was this poet, this man, going to write about the horrendous events of that most nightmarish day?
Beautifully. Powerfully. That's how. And I listened to it the first time and then played it again and again and I cried and I cried and I cried.
But there's one song on it which is joyful. And it's about Mary's place and a party and Buddhas and letting it rain and love and a porch with furniture on it and a favorite song.
Yeah. I felt like he wrote for me.
So let me share it with you. This is from a concert he did in Germany last May. And it shows a little of how he interacts with his audience. How he somehow, magically, makes every person there feel as if he was singing to them. About them. Somehow. Some way. Even if their names are not Mary.

I got my garden partially planted tonight. And it is raining a tiny bit, which is like a gardener's direct gift from the universe, of course, to have a gentle rain falling on freshly planted seeds.
"Let it rain!" sings Bruce.
"Let it rain!" I say.

I live in a world at the same time that Bruce Springsteen lives in it. I consider myself lucky.

Here you go. Happy Birthday, Bruce. Thanks for everything.

Love...Mary





I got seven pictures of Buddha
The prophet's on my tongue
Eleven angels of mercy
Sighin' over that black hole in the sun
My heart's dark but it's risin'
I'm pullin' all the faith I can see
From that black hole on the horizon
I hear your voice calling me

Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain
Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain, let it rain
Meet me at Mary's place, we're gonna have a party
Meet me at Mary's place, we're gonna have a party
Tell me how do we get this thing started
Meet me at Mary's place

Familiar faces around me
Laughter fills the air
Your loving grace surrounds me
Everybody's here
Furniture's out on the front porch
Music's up loud
I dream of you in my arms
I lose myself in the crowd

Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain
Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain, let it rain
Meet me at Mary's place, we're gonna have a party
Meet me at Mary's place, we're gonna have a party
Tell me how do you live broken-hearted
Meet me at Mary's place

I got a picture of you in my locket
I keep it close to my heart
A light shining in my breast
Leading me through the dark
Seven days, seven candles
In my window light your way
Your favorite record's on the turntable
I drop the needle and pray
Band's countin' out midnight
Floor's rumblin' loud
Singer's callin' up daylight
And waitin' for that shout from the crowd
Waitin' for that shout from the crowd
Waitin' for that shout from the crowd
Waitin' for that shout from the crowd
Waitin' for that shout from the crowd
Waitin' for that shout from the crowd

Turn it up, turn it up, turn it up
Turn it up, turn it up, turn it up, turn it up

Meet me at Mary's place, we're gonna have a party
Meet me at Mary's place, we're gonna have a party
Tell me how do we get this thing started
Meet me at Mary's place

Meet me at Mary's place
Meet me at Mary's place

9 comments:

  1. Ah, you're not wrong about any of this. My mother felt exactly the same way as you about him. Spiritual man. That is one great... photo. Damn.

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  2. Yes, we'll still need you; yes, we'll still feed you, when you're 64 ~ just come to Mary's Place!

    Happy Birthday, Bruce...and thanks, Mary, for your beautiful birthday words ~ if only he could see them.

    Fabulous video!

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  3. Damn right he wrote that for you.

    As always thanks for introducing me to new things - songs in this case.

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  4. Oh, that man. I wish I was named Mary.

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  5. That pic of Bruce inspires me to get in better shape.

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  6. Happy Birthday to Bruce the Boss!

    When I saw your title, I thought you were going to reference Same Cooke and his "Meet me at Mary's Place."

    Listening to his song, and knowing what I know of you, I think Sam very well could've be singing about you, too. Here's his "Mary" song:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6ChR-oqrA0

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  7. Hard to believe that Bruce is 64. Man time does fly.

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  8. Jo- The Daily Mail has quite a few. Very nice. Even if it is a really trashy site.

    lulumarie- Oh god. I think I would be too intimidated to even try to cook for Bruce. But I would want to.

    Jill- You are so welcome!

    Elizabeth- You can pretend. It's all right. I'll share.

    Maggie May- I knew you'd like it.

    NOLA- It inspires me to want to give up now. Sigh.

    Nancy- Yep. Bruce said that the Sam Cooke song was his inspiration.

    Syd- No shit, brother.

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