I've always wondered about Springsteen's obsession with singing about "gypsies" in his lyrics. I don't think the term or imagery here is used in a particularly derogatory way (many argue the term "gypsy" is a politically incorrect term to describe the Roma)*. The idea of ghosts/spirits is obviously something that would be an attractive image for Springsteen's lyrics (for one example of a lyrical theme where this would be appropriate, see
I was unsure if maybe I was just over-analyzing a few infrequent uses of the term in his songs. But then I used this cool tool on Springsteen's website where you can search the lyrics, and found that its used in 9 songs, spanning his entire career from Greetings to Magic. Searching for "gypsy" returned results for 9 different songs:
GYPSY BIKER
Our Gypsy biker's comin' home
Our Gypsy biker is comin' home
My Gypsy biker is coming home.
BRILLIANT DISGUISE
the gypsy swore our future was right
Well maybe baby the gypsy lied
SOUL DRIVER
I'll be your gypsy joker your shotgun rider
OVER THE RISE
I walk along the levee to see the gypsy man
MY LOVER MAN
Was it a gypsy's curse or a hex sign
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT
We'll pick up Hazy Davy and Killer Joe and I'll take you all out to where the gypsy angels go
So we closed our eyes and said goodbye to gypsy angel row, felt so right
LUCKY MAN
I went to see the gypsy the other night
BETTER DAYS
Now my ass was draggin' when from a passin' gypsy wagon
LOCAL HERO
I woke to a gypsy girl sayin' "Drink this"
Our Gypsy biker's comin' home
Our Gypsy biker is comin' home
My Gypsy biker is coming home.
BRILLIANT DISGUISE
the gypsy swore our future was right
Well maybe baby the gypsy lied
SOUL DRIVER
I'll be your gypsy joker your shotgun rider
OVER THE RISE
I walk along the levee to see the gypsy man
MY LOVER MAN
Was it a gypsy's curse or a hex sign
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT
We'll pick up Hazy Davy and Killer Joe and I'll take you all out to where the gypsy angels go
So we closed our eyes and said goodbye to gypsy angel row, felt so right
LUCKY MAN
I went to see the gypsy the other night
BETTER DAYS
Now my ass was draggin' when from a passin' gypsy wagon
LOCAL HERO
I woke to a gypsy girl sayin' "Drink this"
In all of these, the term is used either casually to describe a "spiritual type" character, or it's used very clearly to make clear an image of a ghost or similar concept to grapple with death or lost company. While the purpose of this image in his lyrics makes sense to me, I couldn't find a compelling explanation anywhere for why this specific term to describe this thematic image is so prevalent in Springsteen's lyrics.
Please, I invite your suggestions or ideas as to what makes this particular lyrical devise so attractive to Springsteen!!!!!
*I am aware that the term "gypsy" is probably being used by Springsteen to describe "spiritual types" rather than, specifically, people who are ethnically Roma. I also recognize that some would argue that this makes the term more offensive...
**Thanks Dad!
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No idea why Bruce talks about Gypsies so much, but I will point out that (apart from Brilliant Disguise) these are all pretty bad songs. Not sure if that means anything.
ReplyDeleteWhat about Spirit in the Night?!?!?!?!?
ReplyDeleteI agree as a whole these are below average for Bruce... and lyrically, the songs are especially weak as far as Bruce goes (and while Spirit in the Night is a great song, you could argue it's lyrically a little silly), maybe because the more Bruce talks about mystical type stuff the more silly the lyrics become... and while I think it works in the earlier stuff (like Spirit in the Night) because it comes off as more youthful, in the late 80s/90s songs the mystical/spiritual stuff is kinda distracting and is harder to take seriously than other themes in Springsteen's lyrics.
Yeah, obvi you like Spirit in the Night. Me: meh. It's not nearly as bad as most of the other ones here, of course. But it's probably my least favorite track on Asbury Park (well, actually it probably beats The Angel now that I think about it).
ReplyDeleteFranz Liszt was probably the first major Western musician/composer to link Gypsies, music, and ghosts/magic/spirituality. He published a book that was really controversial at the time.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.pecina.cz/files/www.ce-review.org/01/13/damon13.html
Note that when he integrated "gyspsy"/Hungarian musical tropes into his style, he also became Western music's first rock star. He was the first musician to have women routinely screaming/falling over him at concerts, first musician to emphasize a performer's visual role as entertainer in concerts (as opposed to just auditory), etc.
For what it's worth: during the introduce-the-band-interlude in "10th Avenue Freeze-out" on "Live from New York," he tells a story about a "gypsy woman" who points him towards the E Street Band.
ReplyDeleteI think the "wanderer" aspect of the gypsy trope is also important to Springsteen. I see "gypsy biker" as a stand in for "prodigal son" in that song which, by the way, is awesome :P
Charles - that's crazy!
ReplyDeleteHazy Davy - very interesting... although not sure how much Springsteen's sound is influenced by 'Gypsy music'...
Scott - I agree about the 'wanderer' aspect... and I guess that's consistent with a lot of the types of themes you see in Springsteen's songs... Not sure if i'd go as far as awesome, but Gypsy Biker is definitely a pretty strong track, especially on Magic and on the list above...
as a TOT, my most vivid recollection of the nostalgic city of Asbury Park was of the MAGICAL, BEGUILING, AND MYSTIFYING PALACE AMUSEMENTS. To this day, some 58+ years later, I can still see that Iconic facade of the arcade featuring "Tillie", tucked somewhere in a corner, was the ALL KNOWING GYPSY encased in a glass enclosure, inn her Gypsy garb, starting straight at you, and right through you, imploring you to make a deposit to hear what this OMNISCIENT denizen of Kingsley street had to predict. I am confident that any frequenter of Asbury in that epoch would fully agree that this unequivocally explains how theMystical figure of the Gypsy plays such a significant role in the lyrics of at least ten SPRINGSTEEN SONGS.
ReplyDeleteTO further discuss this beguiling and elusive subject would be my great pleasure
Joe (201) 694-3745
Having friends who lived at that precise shore area, I have many little known Springsteen anecdotes.
This is such a deep question and there is blinding beauty in the minds of those who would notice and ask. Perhaps the later was a interesting and genuine possibility as to the boss's reoccurring mention of gypsy.
ReplyDeleteBut how did anyone figure it as a time or platform to state as they were the gavel swinging judge to say these songs are any less than anyother Springsteen song..may be it takes one to know one and there is some gypsy blood in Bruce 's vains of the past just as there is in mine..
One may do well to stay positive ,as offending a gypsy has been known to have undesirable repercussions. So let's stay open minded and keep judgement to ourselves. Or as the boss said "maybe baby the gypsy lied" And possibly he has frequently mentioned the gypsy just to cause us to ask why 😜🏴☠️