Land of Hope and Dreams
“The Boss” and “the Big Man”, more commonly known as Bruce Springsteen and Clarence Clemons. Many people who have listened to rock and roll music the past five decades have some idea of who Bruce Springsteen is. He is a worldwide rock star. However, many people probably do not know about his friendship with his saxophonist and bandmate Clarence Clemons. They may have had different skin colors, but they were brothers. They made music together and toured together for nearly forty years. As a nineteen year old, you would not expect me to know much about Bruce Springsteen’s music, but my dad is a Bruce Springsteen worshipper which has made me listen to my fair share of music by The Boss. I have grown to love Bruce and Clarence. Sadly, in 2011 Clarence passed away. The very next year, Bruce came out with a new album, it was the first one since Clarence’s passing. A song on the album named “Land of Hope and Dreams” stood out to me. I could tell it had a greater meaning to Bruce than many of his other songs. In the song “Land of Hope and Dreams”, by Bruce Springsteen, Bruce pays tribute to his friendship with Clarence Clemons and shares the concept of death with listeners through his powerful lyrics and his use of a train as symbolism.
The song “Land of Hope and Dreams” has been performed by Bruce Springsteen for about fifteen years. It was actually written somewhere between 1999 and 2000. Bruce, however, had never put this song on a studio album until after Clarence passed. It could be inferred that Bruce putting this song on the album was his way to pay tribute to Clarence. Also, at the beginning of the song Clarance can be heard singing, “Don’t you wanna ride this train” (Springsteen). He sounds angelic and majestic. It is almost as if he is looking down from heaven singing the song. Bruce putting this snippet of Clarence singing at the beginning is another way he pays tribute to his late friend.
This song can be interpreted in many different ways, but it is evident that Bruce’s theme throughout the song is the journey of death. In the very first verse of the song he sings, “Grab your ticket and your suitcase, thunder is rolling down this track” (Springsteen). And then he goes onto sing right after, “You don’t know where you’re going now, but you know you won’t be back” (Springsteen). These first two lines of the song can right away be thought of as death. When packing a suitcase people are preparing to go somewhere that they will be staying for a period of time. Also, when dying, no one exactly knows where they will end up. They are unaware of where they are going. One thing they do know is that they will not be back. Then at the end of every verse Bruce sings, “Meet me in a land of hope and dreams” (Springsteen). This land of hope and dreams represents heaven or a paradise people go when they die.
In the second verse, Bruce continues to sing about possible things that can be interpreted as death. He sings, “I will provide for you, I will stand by your side” (Springsteen). Then goes onto sing, “You’ll need a good companion now, for this part of the ride” (Springsteen). These lyrics represent someone being there for the person dying. It is comforting the person. Whether it be a funeral or something similar to it, the song is implying the importance of someone sending the passing person to a better place. They are acting as almost a spirit going with them to this land of hope and dreams. In the second verse he also sings, “Leave behind your sorrows, let this day be your last” (Springsteen). And then sings, “Tomorrow there will be sunshine, and all this darkness past” (Springsteen). These lyrics can be directly related to death. It can mean to leave whatever bad happened in the previous life behind, and to look forward to a better life after. He is saying to basically get a fresh start somewhere new. Once again he sings at the end, “Meet me in a land of hope and dreams” (Springsteen).
In the third verse, Bruce uses the symbolism of a train to represent the journey of death. The trains acts as the transportation from life to after life, and he also discusses the passengers on the train. He sings, “This train carries saints and sinners, this train carries losers and winners, this train carries whores and gamblers, this train carries lost souls” (Springsteen). This means that all types of people die no matter what. It does not matter if a person is good or bad because everyone dies. He then sings, “On this train, dreams will not be thwarted, on this train, faith will be rewarded, on this train, bells of freedom ringing” (Springsteen). These lines represent that when someone dies, they become free. They do not have to worry about anything anymore. Their dreams will not be denied and all of the faith they have had throughout life will pay off when death comes. In the third verse, Bruce also sings one of the most important lines in the song. He sings, “This train, all aboard” (Springsteen). This line is important because it represents something that everyone in this world has in common, which is death. It is unavoidable for everyone and something all of us will experience. He then sings again, “Meet me in a land of hope and dreams” (Springsteen).
Lastly, at the end of the song many people are heard singing different things. They sound as if they are in a gospel choir. People are heard singing, “People get ready”, and “You just thank the lord” (Springsteen). Although most people do not choose when they die, everyone prepares for death in their own way. People think about death all of the time and what it might be like. Also, faith is heavily related to death no matter what religious affiliation one might have. People singing, “You just thank the lord” represents the faith that one has when they die and also giving thanks to God for everything He has done thus far (Springsteen).
This song can be interpreted in many various ways, but I think death is the main meaning behind it all. Bruce Springsteen not only uses this song as a way to pay tribute to his late friend on his album, but also talks about the journey of death in an uplifting way when it is normally sad. He makes death sound beautiful. In “Land of Hope and Dreams”, by Bruce Springsteen, The Boss honors “The Big Man” and also delivers a great message about death through his lyrics and symbolism of the train. Everyone’s day of death will come but I hope when mine comes that it is just like this song makes it to be and it takes me to a land of hope and dreams.
Work Cited
Springsteen, Bruce. “Land of Hope and Dreams”. Wrecking Ball. Columbia Records, 2012. CD.
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