Bruce Springsteen has internalized the Catholic sacramental vision. As a kid in a New Jersey Catholic grade school and with plenty of opportunities to grasp the idea of invisibilia per visibilia, Bruce apprehended the power of the Incomprehensible Mystery—midnight mass, stained glass windows and the choir singing with joy. Above all a Sacred Story second to none. He intuited the unseen Holy showing up in the visible world, the divine in the mundane, the transcendent in the immanent. Try friendships, laughter, sunsets, Mozart and babies for starters.
The utopian vision of Jesus (Land of Hope and Dreams) embraces all—particularly those who are heavy laden and weary. Beginning again is always an option for the Divine Lover who greets us with open arms (Luke 15:11-26). Often describing his concerts as “rock and roll baptism”, Springsteen’s hope is to bring some relief to people, to get them to think in new ways and to challenge his own country to put flesh on the bones of Emma Lazarus’ poem at the base of the Statue of Liberty—”Give me your tired, your poor…”
On this train there is room for “saints and sinners, losers and winners, lost souls “etc. Looks like the church of the big tent to us.
Land of Hope and Dreams
(Bruce Springsteen)
Grab your ticket and your suitcase
Thunder’s rolling down the tracks
You don’t know where you’re goin’
But you know you won’t be back
Darlin’ if you’re weary
Lay your head upon my chest
We’ll take what we can carry
And we’ll leave the rest
Big Wheels rolling through fields
Where sunlight streams
Meet me in a land of hope and dreams
I will provide for you
And I’ll stand by your side
You’ll need a good companion for
This part of the ride
Leave behind your sorrows
Let this day be the last
Tomorrow there’ll be sunshine
And all this darkness past
Big wheels roll through fields
Where sunlight streams
Meet me in a land of hope and dreams
This train
Carries saints and sinners
This train
Carries losers and winners
This Train
Carries whores and gamblers
This Train
Carries lost souls
This Train
Dreams will not be thwarted
This Train
Faith will be rewarded
This Train
Hear the steel wheels singin’
This Train
Bells of freedom ringin’
This Train
Carries broken-hearted
This Train
Thieves and sweet souls departed
This Train
Carries fools and kings
This Train
All aboard
This Train
Dreams will not be thwarted
This Train
Faith will be rewarded
This Train
Hear the steel wheels singin’
This Train
Bells of freedom ringin’
Copyright © Bruce Springsteen (ASCAP)
