“…The Pretender, These Days, For Every Man, I’m Alive, Fountain of Sorrow, Running On Empty, For a Dancer, Before the Deluge. Now, I know the Eagles got in first; but let’s face it it – and I think Don Henley would agree with me – these are the songs they wish they had written. I wish I had written them myself, along with Like a Rolling Stone and Satisfaction…”
– Bruce Springsteen in 2004 as part of his Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction speech for Jackson Browne.
Late for the Sky by Jackson Browne was recommended to me by blogger friend Christian at Christian’s Music Musings. If you would like to learn more about Jackson Browne and Christian’s personal connection with his music, then I highly recommend his article My Playlist: Jackson Browne. The above quote by Springsteen I lifted from that very article. In fact there is a plethora of Jackson Browne music and discussion in his blog, so do yourself a favour and pop on by.
I, on the other hand am largely unfamiliar with his music although I liked listening to Running on Empty growing up. I love the movie by the same name that I reviewed back in 2019 which was a starring vehicle for the infinitely talented late- great River Phoenix, but has no connection with the Browne song.
What always appealed to me listening to Jackson Browne’s music was his soothing voice which has a blend of warmth, intimacy, and emotional depth. That is why I am so fond today’s featured track Late for the Sky because it showcases what I find so alluring about his voice. The song is slow-burning and ebbs and flows like a meandering river or the inward and outward movement of ocean tides. AllMusic critic William Ruhlmann described the song as a “slow, piano-based ballad in [Browne’s] familiar style” that is “a typically eloquent description of romantic discord.” The lyrics tell of a relationship that is doomed to fail because the singer’s lover’s expectations of him are too great.
Late for the Sky is the title track from his third studio album which peaked at number 14 on Billboard‘s Pop Albums chart. In 2020, the album was deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry. The song was used in Martin Scorsese’s 1976 film, Taxi Driver, in a scene where Robert De Niro’s character “loses what’s left of his loose grip on reality.“
[Verse 1]
Now the words had all been spoken
And somehow the feeling still wasn’t right
And still we continued on through the night
Tracing our steps from the beginning
Until they vanished into the air
Trying to understand how our lives had led us there
Looking hard into your eyes
There was nobody I’d ever known
Such an empty surprise
To feel so alone
[Verse 2]
Now for me some words come easy
But I know that they don’t mean that much
Compared with the things that are said when lovers touch
You never knew what I loved in you
I don’t know what you loved in me
Maybe the picture of somebody you were hoping I might be?
[Bridge]
Awake again, I can’t pretend
And I know I’m alone
And close to the end
Of the feeling we’ve known
[Chorus]
How long have I been sleeping?
How long have I been drifting alone through the night?
How long have I been dreaming I could make it right
If I closed my eyes and tried with all my might
To be the one you need?
[Bridge]
[Outro]
Reference:
1. Late for the Sky – Jackson Browne – Wikipedia
2. Late for the Sky (song) – Wikipedia
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
Thanks for the kind shoutout, Matt, and I’m glad Jackson Browne resonates. Like you I also find his vocals very pleasant. And he’s written many great melodic songs. I absolutely love the “Running On Empty” album.
This song you put me onto which I wrote about today later than I ordinarily do, has already got many ‘likes’…well at least more than I’m accustomed to. So that’s cool.
The thing about Browne’s music and I almost wanted to share it in the article, but I thought it better to do that with you here in conversation…
His singing resonates strongly, but just when I think he will go somewhere in a song it seems to flounder or not reach the heights of what I envision. I think that is what has kept me from really delving into his catalogue. Having said that I really like this song although I can’t quite put my finger on ‘why’ apart from the appeal of his voice and the ‘ebb and flow’ feel.
Well, I’m glad you found and dig this particular song. I feel music oftentimes is an experience that’s hard to rationalize. There are certain songs that just speak to you, like “Late for Sky” in your case, a song I also dig, while others for some reason don’t or don’t fully click. I’d say take it one song at a time! 🙂
Si Señor. Amen.
Beautiful song Matt… he is a great songwriter no doubt. I learned a lot about him while reading Gregg Allman’s bio…he helped Gregg learn how to write songs while they shared an apartment.
I’ll get back to you later on this, but check this interview out with Bruce recently which we spoke about:
That is one of my favorite stories. I first read about it in Born To Run the bio that Dave Marsh wrote….I love that story.
Yeh, it’s something else.