Countin’ on a Miracle is from Bruce’s The Rising record released after the attack on the twin towers in New York. This record was a dedication to the victims and survivors of that terrible day. The Rising was symbolically named to praise the heroism of the firefighters and emergency teams heading up the stairwells of the Towers before they collapsed. Until the release of the Rising I hadn’t heard much of Bruce’s music since his 1992 Human Touch record, but I thought The Rising was an amazing return to form. It was his first studio album in 7 years and became Springsteen’s first to top the US Billboard 200 since Tunnel of Love in 1987. His live Barcelona concert for The Rising is one of my favourite music concerts I like to revisit.
I’m runnin’ through the forest
With the wolf at my heels
My king is lost at midnight
When the tower bells peal
We’ve got no fairytale ending
In God’s hands our fate is complete
Your heaven’s here in my heart
Our love’s this dust beneath my feet
Just this dust beneath my feet
If I’m gonna live
I’ll lift my life
Darlin’ to you
Springsteen said he got the inspiration for the album a few days after the 9/11 attacks, when a stranger in a car stopped next to him, rolled down his window and said: “We need you now”. I was not directly impacted by the events of September 11, 2001, apart from having viewed the events (like nearly all of us) and seeing something so terrifying and evil occurring. For me the event took a long time to process. The Rising album was instrumental in allowing me to grieve and empathize with those unfortunate individuals that were directly impacted that day. Songs from his Rising record projects my mind back to the impact of the events of that fateful day.
Countin’ on a Miracle contains about the best ‘bridge’ in any song I have heard. Normally I loathe these fillers as they seem to labour the song, but in Countin’ the bridge is the part of the song I like the most. Mind you the layout of this song is unconventional to say the least. A bridge if you are unaware is a musical passage that connects two sections of a song. It could connect the verse to the chorus of a song or it might sit between the last two chorus sections to add variation. The bridge as I have presupposed here in Countin’ lifts the song into the stratosphere:
Your kiss, your kiss, your touch, your touch
Your heart, your heart, your strength, your strength
Your hope, your hope, your faith, your faith
Your face, your face, your love, your love
Your dream, your dream, your life, your life
When Bruce delves into that section (from 1:40 in the video below) it sends shivers down my spine every time. Perhaps this song is written from the perspective of someone who lost a loved one in the World Trade Center. Not knowing whether or not they’re alive and they’re praying for the intervention of some kind. And then they find out that they have passed … “There’s no fairy tale ending..” and “Sleeping Beauty awakes from her dream with a kiss from her lovers lips”. And all that remains are memories. This song is really hard to write about because of what it elicits in the mind. To be honest, I feel fortunate to be able to listen to it. Below is the version live in Barcelona:
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
Bruce can always relay a point in time in such a vivid way. Have you read is new autobiography? His descriptions are outstanding…a little wordy at times but it fits him.
I like him as a songwriter, but I don’t have much interest in reading his thoughts lol
I read the early biographies and his meeting a young fan in the cinema. That was one for the ages. I prefer his music and his interpretation doesn’t really do it for me.
Was that the one where he went home with the kid? It was a Woody Allen movie I believe. He is a great storyteller…that is one thing he excels at.
I don’t know. He went back with a kid to his home after seeing a movie and introduced his parents to Bruce lol Can you imagine?
They showed their parents his albums to prove it was him lol. It was cool of him doing that. He does care about his fans…what helped him is the great band he put together also.
He’s the Boss and that’s that.
lol
Have you seen a better bridge in any song than Bruce’s here at 1:40?
It is great…bridges are not easy and they are usually throw aways…something to tie the song together…this one is special.
I love that showing the parents the albums. Can you imagine that scene?
“It’s him mom”…. they had a story for the rest of their life.
In the book…it seems like the big inspirations to him were Elvis, Beatles, and then Dylan at first…he seemed to try to combine all three.
Ok, I could almost imagine the book. They are 3 u want to combine lol
Yes you would have it all. I think he was the only one who survived the “he’s the next Bob Dylan” tag.
Yeh he got that tag in the 70’s from Rolling Stone unless I’m mistaken. Surviving that and superseding it is something else.
They were about the same age when they put out their most well known albums…I love Tweeter and the Monkey Man…it’s either a great Springsteen tribute or a fun poke at him…I never could tell which.
Then he did something never seen before in the history of Rock
This:
I never get tired of that song…his voice is so raw
To me this is about the best performance live I have ever seen. The instrumentals are perfect and his performance magnifico. And the effect of the audience. It’s A1 as far as rock concerns
I’ve seen him twice. There is not another musician who gives as much. I saw him on an acoustic tour and with the E-Street Band…just incredible.
You made me envious. I had a chance to see him solo, but it didn’t work out. How were your experiences?
They were great Matt. 4 hours of music each time…and full energy.
Wow, you lucky buggar! Haha
I was lucky…the time that I regret missing is 1984 tour when he came through on the Born in the USA tour…
Can you imagine that concert! Dios!
My friend went to see it back then and he said it was one of the best he has ever seen.
That doesn’t surprise me if the band and him were in the same semblance of form he was in that Born track above
I remember back then he was everywhere. Politicians were talking about him and he was on the evening news all of the time.
The politicians thought ‘Born’ was a Patriots song for their campaign trail. They neglected to read the words.
Yep….both parties did that…that would be the first thing you would do if you are a politician you would think
Good piece Matt. I really like this whole record.
Thanks Cinci. That means a lot coming from you. I’m also a big fan of this record and what it achieved.
No problem Matt. It is good stuff.