In the first Album Nabraska, seems to touch on several different ideas but the ones that seemed to stick out the most were the messages about how rough life can be at times and what those standards are like, how rough justice can be. The second Album Born in the USA has some very similar messages however how each message is given is almost completely different. Nabraska has a more depressed tone as if just realizing the harsh sides to reality, while Born in the USA seems to have a more passionate and lively mask that covers or distracts from the pains and harships of life. Some things that are "discussed" or brought up in both albums are topics such as issues with the law and sentencing, everyday hardships that can cause crime or just life distress. Another point covered in a more broad way is the concept of family and relationships and how they react in times of difficulty or harship. Starting with difficulties with the police/law Nabraska had two songs that focused on the crime, "Nabraska" and "Johnny 99". Born in the USA has three songs that focus on crime and punishment; "Born in the USA", "Darlington County", and in a way "Cover Me" "Nabraska" tells the story of a mass murder by a 19 year old who said he did it because "Well, sir, I guess there's just a meaness in this world". "Cover Me" also has a similar story in the aspect that some criminals look for other criminals in a relationship or that some relationships can be disfunctional enough to lead to crime; "looking for someone to cover me" and to run from the law with. "Johnny 99" and "Darlington County" tell the story of the common joe getting locked. in "Johnny 99" we have an man who has "debts no honest man could pay, The bank was holdin' my mortgage and they was takin' my house away". This in addition to "Darlington County"'s idea of living life to the fullest and looking for a job until you do break the law. These messages come accross in two distinctly different ways; one being an honest and depressing story that stimulates thought and the other being an upbeat song that made me think "they had it coming". Two completely different stories that ended with the law "cracking down". "Born in the USA" gave me a little spin when i listened. At first the song sounded upbeat and the title initially led to patriotism but after paying special attention to the lyrics I realized that it discusses the concept of former veterans who got a cbance to serve thier time as part of the US military still couldnt find work when they returned because of how our society is biased against criminals. Even though the song sounded upbeat and enjoyable the lyrics told a horrible story about our own society.
The concepts that really connected the two albums where the ones about the harships of life. As was focused in "Johnny 99" and "Born in the USA" we also get a grasp of harships of life and the difference in prosperity. "Mansion on the Hill" and "Used Cars" from Nabraska and "Working on the Highway" or "Downbound Train" from Born in the USA give us very unique perspectives on a very simple idea. While Nabraska's songs give a very "unsuccessful" financial perspective it is portrayed in less of a harship way but more of a feeling of longing. In contrast to "Mansion on the Hill", "Used Cars" seems to be a more prideful and rememorable time of life, no matter how sarcastic; how they came home with thier "brand new used car". While these two songs give some perspective on how life can be decent for those in rough situations "Working on the Highway" gives a very energized feeling of life after "Working on the highway, layind down the blacktop, Working on the highway, all day I don't stop." In this song again the main character works hard all day just to live at night and make a mistake which leads to getting locked up; "and the judge got mad and put me straight away". |
25 BucksNormally I don't like to listen to rap but this song discusses a lot of similar ideas to what I took away from Nabraska and Born in the USA. It tells the story of living life while trying to raise your kids right. It voices the fears of many parents in the aspect of "rushing to see the state pen or cemetery". It then goes on about how hard it is to earn a little money, how people would do anything for 25 bucks. How people go out shooting just to win a pair of shoes or when they would pray each night for a better lifestyle or to be more fortunate.
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Reason to BelieveReason to believe was the last song on Nabraska and in my own opinion is the perfect closure for the album. It talks about how even through all this pain and harship we get a few stories of the people who have survived and that to do so you need to just have something to hold onto, some reason to believe it gets better. The man hoping the dog will wake up or the women waiting for her love to return or the groom waiting for the bride to show. Some people will fight through the pain and the suffering because they believe it gets better.
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