Saturday cartoons, plus an amusing debate breaks out: Did her dress "sway" or "wave" in Springsteen classic "Thunder Road"? He's not saying. Update: Jon Landau (maybe) settles it.
Background: I've seen Bruce 99 times in concert (yeah, I know, I know, I'm not in the 100 club yet!), and I've written for Backstreets and Bruce's web site, so sometimes people think I know what I'm talking about. Sometimes.
Mostly I find the "controversy" to be amusing. But this will be a serious reply.
I learned the song as "waves," and on those occasions when I've sung along with my car radio or with Bruce in concert, that's the word I've used.
But then, I always thought that in the 2nd chorus of "The Promised Land," Bruce said if he could "reach" one moment in to his hand, right up until I saw the movie "Blinded By the Light" a couple years ago and there was "wrench" right up on the screen. That one's not in the lyric sheet. I went back and listened to the old recordings, and realized I had heard it wrong all those years.
The same is true with "Thunder Road." The correct word is "sways."
That's not just because the lyric sheet to "Live 1975-85" says "sways," or because Bruce's autobiography says "sways," or because he both sang and said "sways" during the VH1 show. The 2nd time he said it during the VH1 show in explanation, he didn't even say "sways," he said "swayed," past tense. Listen closely, it's unmistakable, no matter what the closed captioning says (I'm from central Jersey, I speak that dialect). It's in this clip, at 2:36, "swayed" -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wv8p5aK-CGE
It's not Bruce just leaving out the "v," it's that there is no "v" to leave out.
But consider the scene. "Like a vision she dances across the porch as the radio plays. Roy Orbison singing for lonely, hey that's me and I want you only."
With the opening of the screen door slamming and the dress waving, I always had the vision of Mary bursting through that door (bang!), and/or a breeze causing the door to slam and her dress to wave. Kinda sorta makes sense.
But "sways" is far better, much more literal, and more in keeping with vivid Springsteen scenes.
The radio is playing Roy Orbison's "Only the Lonely." Mary is on the porch, absorbed in the music. Maybe she has come through that screen door, possibly it just slammed shut while she was dancing across the porch, not paying the slightest attention to the door, she's lost in the music, and, yes, *swaying* to it. Because people sway to the music, they don't *wave* to it, and the dress does as she does. And that's a vision.
So the original BtR lyrics sheet is wrong. Not exactly the only time an official Springsteen lyric sheet has been wrong. As a result of the mistake in the lyrics sheet, both I and millions of others learned the song wrong. Today, I'm in a small minority acknowledging that, even though Bruce's autobiography -- an authoritative written source that is clearly written by Bruce himself -- says "sways."
So it's "sways," and I confess I had it wrong for more than 40 years.
Greg-- So glad you brought this up. I have to say I always thought it was "waves" too, but upon examination of these two examples, I'm going with 'sways." Sorry! Love love love BaRaaHP!!!
Please don't break my heart, tell me it's "waves". Maybe it's actually both as in the Houston '78 and Storytellers '05 videos above. It wouldn't be above Bruce to misapply a lyric here and there.
Hi Greg,
I love your substack, and read it regularly.
wrt Mary's dress:
Background: I've seen Bruce 99 times in concert (yeah, I know, I know, I'm not in the 100 club yet!), and I've written for Backstreets and Bruce's web site, so sometimes people think I know what I'm talking about. Sometimes.
Mostly I find the "controversy" to be amusing. But this will be a serious reply.
I learned the song as "waves," and on those occasions when I've sung along with my car radio or with Bruce in concert, that's the word I've used.
But then, I always thought that in the 2nd chorus of "The Promised Land," Bruce said if he could "reach" one moment in to his hand, right up until I saw the movie "Blinded By the Light" a couple years ago and there was "wrench" right up on the screen. That one's not in the lyric sheet. I went back and listened to the old recordings, and realized I had heard it wrong all those years.
The same is true with "Thunder Road." The correct word is "sways."
That's not just because the lyric sheet to "Live 1975-85" says "sways," or because Bruce's autobiography says "sways," or because he both sang and said "sways" during the VH1 show. The 2nd time he said it during the VH1 show in explanation, he didn't even say "sways," he said "swayed," past tense. Listen closely, it's unmistakable, no matter what the closed captioning says (I'm from central Jersey, I speak that dialect). It's in this clip, at 2:36, "swayed" -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wv8p5aK-CGE
It's not Bruce just leaving out the "v," it's that there is no "v" to leave out.
But consider the scene. "Like a vision she dances across the porch as the radio plays. Roy Orbison singing for lonely, hey that's me and I want you only."
With the opening of the screen door slamming and the dress waving, I always had the vision of Mary bursting through that door (bang!), and/or a breeze causing the door to slam and her dress to wave. Kinda sorta makes sense.
But "sways" is far better, much more literal, and more in keeping with vivid Springsteen scenes.
The radio is playing Roy Orbison's "Only the Lonely." Mary is on the porch, absorbed in the music. Maybe she has come through that screen door, possibly it just slammed shut while she was dancing across the porch, not paying the slightest attention to the door, she's lost in the music, and, yes, *swaying* to it. Because people sway to the music, they don't *wave* to it, and the dress does as she does. And that's a vision.
So the original BtR lyrics sheet is wrong. Not exactly the only time an official Springsteen lyric sheet has been wrong. As a result of the mistake in the lyrics sheet, both I and millions of others learned the song wrong. Today, I'm in a small minority acknowledging that, even though Bruce's autobiography -- an authoritative written source that is clearly written by Bruce himself -- says "sways."
So it's "sways," and I confess I had it wrong for more than 40 years.
Cheers, and again, I love the substack!
best,
Matt Orel
There was a piece posted to The New Yorker website. Editor David Remnick spoke directly to The Boss's manager, Jon Landau (https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/a-springsteen-mystery-solved).
It's "sways."
I’ve always said “sways”, now I’m confused.
It's settled. "Sways."
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/a-springsteen-mystery-solved
Sure sounds like 'sways', and I have to agree with other commenters. Never have been sure of the lyric. Good way to get more comments!
"Sways" rhymes with "plays," fwiw.
Greg-- So glad you brought this up. I have to say I always thought it was "waves" too, but upon examination of these two examples, I'm going with 'sways." Sorry! Love love love BaRaaHP!!!
Please don't break my heart, tell me it's "waves". Maybe it's actually both as in the Houston '78 and Storytellers '05 videos above. It wouldn't be above Bruce to misapply a lyric here and there.