Tunnel of Love Big Tent Revival: “All That Heaven Will Allow”
Christmas blunted the momentum of the Tunnel of Love Big Tent Revival, but nothing can stop us!
We’re two rounds in, 11 having gotten us off to a glorious start and now it’s time for me to pick things us with “All That Heaven Will Allow.”
Josh Hathaway
Bruce Springsteen has never been shy about his affection for the great Roy Orbison. This vocal sounds to me like another of his homages to the man behind those trademarked dark spectacles. Tunnel of Love might be the first great vocal album of Springsteen’s career. Don’t misunderstand me: he had great vocal moments on all his albums, but ToL raises that bar and does it across the entire album. I could be talked down from this position, but it’s something I noticed as I’ve been immersing myself in the record these past couple weeks.
The same steadfastness of the protagonist of “Tougher Than the Rest” (Our National Anthem) is present on this song. “C’mon mister trouble/we’ll make it through you somehow.” This guy isn’t expecting an easy ride, but he’s prepared for the fight because he believes that real love between two people creates healing and shelter; shelter to fend off some of the assaults Mr. Trouble might throw at them, healing for when those blows do land. Love sustains.
From an autobiographical standpoint (we’ve mentioned this album was written around the time Springsteen’s first marriage was falling apart and a romance with the woman he’d later marry, Patty Scialfa, was beginning), I find it interesting that Bruce still defines love in terms of marriage. His was crumbling, but he still believes that storm clouds and dark skies can be broken up by having a girl that loves and wants to wear your ring. The protagonist in this song isn’t just looking for love, he’s looking for marriage. That traditional covenant, commitment, institution and all its symbols mean something.
11
On ‘All That Heaven Will Allow,’ Bruce likely drove his sex appeal up a few notches with the ladies by proving he’s not afraid of commitment. That’s one of the coveted (if you are the average American female) and some would say ‘mythic’ three Cs. Bruce has sprinkled in the compliments fairly regularly up to this point, but it would be a couple more years before he addressed the third — and trickiest — C of them all in ‘Redheaded Woman.’
That’s Latin, darlin’.
Anyway, yes, the hero in ‘All That Heaven Will Allow,’ has a date with a serious, serious, serious hottie, probably one of those dates where you hope everyone you know sees you while you are out with Miss Wherever, because no one would believe you otherwise. We’ve all had ‘em! Honest! The concept of ‘what’s she doing with me/him’ comes up often in pop music, and it certainly comes up again later on TOL.
What has always struck me about this song though is the last verse, in which we shift gears from having a date with an ideal woman to talking a little philosophy, and to my ears, this sounds very personal from Bruce. Already in ‘Ain’t Got You,’ Bruce, the quentissential everyman, has acknowledged that he possesses fame, riches and the affection of most any women he encounters. In ‘All That Heaven Will Allow,’ Bruce seems to address his standing in the rock pantheon, while expressing no desire to become a martyr.
‘Now some they wanna die young man, young and gloriously/Get it straight now mister, yeah buddy that ain’t me/Cause I’ve got something on my mind yeah, that sets me straight and walking proud/And I want all the time, yeah all that heaven will allow.’ I hear Bruce saying ‘no thanks’ to joining the Morrison/Joplin/Hendrix club, opting instead to be a normal guy who plays a rock star rather than letting the rock star take over and drag him off to a ‘glorious’ end.
Bruce starts his aging process on this record, and hopefully, he will continue to do so gracefully.
Filed under: Tags: Bruce Springsteen, Tunnel of Love, Tunnel of Love Big Tent Revival
