'Tucson Train' is the third song to be released from Bruce Springsteen’s upcoming album ‘Western Stars,’ his nineteenth studio album. Following previous single releases 'Hello Sunshine' and 'There Goes My Miracle', 'Tucson Train' taps into the orchestral-country music feel of works such as Glen Campbell’s recordings of 'Wichita Lineman' (written by Jimmy Webb) and 'Rhinestone Cowboy' and the musical bridges between verses wouldn’t sound out of place in a Western movie from the 1950s starring John Wayne.
While the music, bookended by a clattering sound recalling the sound of train wheels on tracks (or a metronome marking time), is bathed in orchestral sweeps and steel guitar licks, Springsteen’s lyrics place the listener in the mind of the songs narrator – a down-on-his-luck guy who left his old life and love to start again. It’s tempting to think that the protagonist of 'Tucson Train' is perhaps the same one from Springsteen’s most famous song 'Born To Run' grown older, the optimism of young love tainted by bitter experience: “I got so down-and-out in 'Frisco/Tired of the pills and the rain/I picked up, headed for the sunshine/I left a good thing behind/Seemed all of our love was in vain,” Springsteen sings in the opening verse. The narrator is waiting for his love to arrive on the eponymous Tucson train, “Just to show her a man can change.” Their relationship, it seems, was not without its problems: “We fought hard over nothin'/We fought till nothin' remained,” a couplet which manages to compress years of bickering into a few seconds of singing.
This far into his career, Springsteen is still able to dig deep into the well of emotions and while the music is polished (due in no small part to the production skills of Ron Aniello), the lyrics hint at a darkness beneath the gloss. This is a familiar trope of Springsteen’s canon – while 'Born In The USA' sounds like a very pro-American song when you just hear the chorus in isolation, as those who have used the song in Presidential campaigns have done, the lyrics to the verses reveal the tale of a Vietnam veteran who has returned home and been let down and abandoned by the society he fought for. Springsteen’s voice is still in fine form considering he is due to turn seventy later this year (many of his peers, sadly, cannot say the same) and his performance really draws the listener into the song.
'Tucson Train' is certainly likeable upon the first listen but repeated listenings brings out more layers to the song and it grows nicely with each revisit. It certainly bodes well for the upcoming album and it’s fair to say that The Boss is back in town.
'Tuscon Trail' can be listened to for yourselves by following this link - https://brucespringsteen.lnk.
Reviewer - Andrew Marsden
on - 31/5/19
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