Racing in the Street

I got in the mood for some Springsteen the other day, and listened to his early albums.  The song "Racing in the Street" is on the fourth album - Darkness on the Edge of Town - released in 1978.  He was 28 years of age. He hadn't even lived long enough by then to write about these ideas.

Not sure exactly what he had in mind when he wrote the song.  Others probably do.  The point is what occurred to me as I listened to it driving to work....

Springsteen uses the idea of racing as a metaphor for getting out and doing something.  The character in the song wants to live, wants to break out of the routine, wants to make the most of his life.  Springsteen words it this way:

Some guys they just give up living
And start dying little by little, piece by piece
Some guys come home from work and wash up
And go racing in the street

Later in the song something happens.  It's unclear, but perhaps his efforts don't bring the reward he was hoping for.  It's a common theme in Springsteen songs.

The point is, I don't want to be the guy in the song who dies "little by little, piece by piece".  I want to Race in the Street. And chances are, you do to.