Confessions of a Fanboy

We’ve covered the spiritual and the political; today we segue to pure fun.

That’s actually one of Springsteen’s great strengths as an artist and songwriter- his versatility.  Spiritual and political stand with great love songs, songs of restlessness, hope, adventure, passion, fun, friendship, humor, disappointment, disillusionment, and loss.  Few songwriters have that kind of depth and variety in their catalog.  Springsteen does, and if you’ll permit me that’s one of the reasons I get so frustrated and disappointed when I see him spending so much time playing other people’s songs.  He doesn’t need to borrow from other songwriters; chances are whatever he’s looking for can be found in his own catalog.

Right then, back to “Pink Cadillac.”  The first time I heard this song was in 1988 when Natalie Cole had a Top 5 hit with it.  I want to say I’d already moved to Washington when that happened.  I’m pretty sure it was still being played on radio that summer but I can’t be sure.  What I didn’t know then — and wouldn’t know for another 10 years — is that:

1. Springsteen wrote the song
2. He wasn’t talking about a car, per se

It wasn’t until I met 11 at UNA in Florence that I learned some of the… deeper… meanings of the song.  He, having a freakish memory, dashed off lyrics to a song that was a Born in the U.S.A. B-side and I came to realize Cole’s danceable, cutesy version of the song was masking something far more interesting.  When Tracks was released shortly thereafter, the first song I listened to was “Pink Cadillac.”  By that time, I was working as a DJ at a classic rock station in town and I brought Tracks with me and played “Pink Cadillac” a few times, once at 11’s request.

“Honey I just wonder what you do there in the back of your pink cadillac…”

• The Countdown Begins
• Day 20: My City of Ruins
• Day 19: Born in the USA

Filed under: Tags: Bruce Springsteen, Nashville Coundown