Music Friday

One of the major loves in my life is music. I have a pretty eclectic taste and my only criteria for is that it’s not from one of these manufactured bands. Yes, I know it’s not a new phenomenon it just that in recent years it detracts new listeners from actually listening to those that really work hard at what they do. Anyway, this is sort of wandering from the point. Certain songs and pieces mean a lot to me. They invoke a reaction, stir a memory, take you right back to a time and a place.


For a long time I’ve been a fan of Bruce Springsteen. I love his sound, his subject matter, the way he sets the scene and tells the story. Like, I suspect, many people Born To Run is my favourite Springsteen song. I’d go as far as to say that it is, without doubt, one of my favourite songs full stop.

In 2006 Captain Chaos required some major open heart surgery. Her second heart surgery before the age of two. This time it was to repair or replace her mitral value and resection her aorta. So pretty major stuff and more grey hairs for Mum and Dad! We were sat in her hospital room, the anaesthetist and the surgeon had both been in and discussed the plan for the day and her pre-med administered. As we sat there, awaiting the nurse to take us to theatre, it came to the last song on the radio breakfast show. With Captain Chaos cuddled down in my arms and all dozy from the pre-med Born To Run came on the radio. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. As the song drew to a close the nurse came to take us down.

Since then Born To Run has held an even more special place in my heart. It takes me right back to that room, to that day. It reminds me of the amazing jobs that the medical staff do, of how lucky we are to have Captain Chaos in our lives.

Unfortunately YouTube doesn't want me to embed the video but here is the link to it: Born To Run

In the day we sweat it out in the streets of a runaway American dream

At night we ride through mansions of glory in suicide machines
Sprung from cages out on highway 9,
Chrome wheeled, fuel injected
and steppin' out over the line
Baby this town rips the bones from your back
It's a death trap, it's a suicide rap
We gotta get out while we're young
'Cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run
Wendy let me in I wanna be your friend
I want to guard your dreams and visions
Just wrap your legs 'round these velvet rims
and strap your hands across my engines
Together we could break this trap
We'll run till we drop, baby we'll never go back
Will you walk with me out on the wire
'Cause baby I'm just a scared and lonely rider
But I gotta find out how it feels
I want to know if love is wild
girl I want to know if love is real

Beyond the Palace hemi-powered drones scream down the boulevard
The girls comb their hair in rearview mirrors
And the boys try to look so hard
The amusement park rises bold and stark
Kids are huddled on the beach in a mist
I wanna die with you Wendy on the streets tonight
In an everlasting kiss


The highway's jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power drive
Everybody's out on the run tonight
but there's no place left to hide
Together Wendy we'll live with the sadness
I'll love you with all the madness in my soul
Someday girl I don't know when
we're gonna get to that place
Where we really want to go
and we'll walk in the sun
But till then tramps like us
baby we were born to run