My Spotify Playlist – Track 2
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The second track on my GWMS playlist is an uplifting track by Bruce Springsteen.
I’ve been a fan of Bruce Springsteen for about 25 years. I was aware of him from 1984’s Born in the USA but, I guess like many people, the young me mistook Born in the USA as some sort of jingoistic tubthumping. It wasn’t until I got 1995’s Greatest Hits album that I began to appreciate the depth and craft of The Boss’s song writing.
I quickly bought up the back catalogue and new releases were eagerly purchased. I’ve seen him live in Glasgow three times, each one a hugely memorable event. Many of his songs have struck a chord with me at different times in my life, both happy and sad.
Bruce Springsteen: Land of Hope and Dreams
However, there is one track I have come back to time and time again: Land of Hope and Dreams, from 2012’s tremendous Wrecking Ball album. I liked it long before MS but since diagnosis, the message of hope is something from which I take a lot of strength.
It feels like Bruce and the E-Street Band (or more accurately the heart-stopping, pants-dropping, love-making, earth-quaking, Viagra-taking E-Street Band) at the top of their game. They played it at my second Bruce concert in 2013, and it was simply stunning.
A Good Companion
It is a euphoric song, but one verse in particular elevates my spirits. Let’s take the first four lines
I will provide for you
And I’ll stand by your side
You’ll need a good companion
For this part of the ride
For me, this represents the support I’ve had from friends and family through my MS ride. Without these good companions, this would be a much tougher journey. Much love and gratitude to you all!
Sunnier Times Ahead
The second four lines contain a phrase that has become almost a mantra for me.
Leave behind your sorrows
Let this day be the last
Tomorrow there’ll be sunshine
And all this darkness past
“Tomorrow there’ll be sunshine and all this darkness past”. What a hopeful and optimistic statement. Today might be difficult, the MS diagnosis might be dark clouds but tomorrow can be better. And the difficult times will be behind me. I love this line and its bright outlook on the future, regardless of how tough times are now.
I remind myself of this line on a regular basis and it continues to lift me up when I’m feeling low. I take a lot of strength from it. It reminds me that things can get better. When I was still unsure of my diagnosis, it kept me positive. After diagnosis, it helps me to realise this isn’t the end of my life, and that I have some good companions for this part of the ride. it is a line that I’ve shared with others when they have had their own struggles.
Over the last 25 years, I’ve derived a lot of joy and pleasure from Bruce Springsteen’s music but on a personal level, Land of Hope and Dreams moves me more than any other.
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