I won’t be spending too much time on today’s track from the movie of the same name, because it featured prominently in my Friday’s Finest instalment of the The Wrestler movie where I wrote:
Rourke told Springsteen about his upcoming film and asked if Springsteen could write a song for it. Springsteen subsequently did, played it for Rourke and director Darren Aronofsky before a concert. When they liked it, Springsteen gave them the song for no fee. The song was widely expected to receive a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Song where Springsteen would perform it on the awards show, but in what Rolling Stone termed “shocking news”, it was denied a nomination when the Academy nominated only three songs in the category rather than the usual five.
So, the winner of Best Song at the Golden Globes is snubbed from even a nomination at the 81st Academy Awards – and to make matters worse, Mickey Rourke delivers a career-defining, physically and emotionally grueling performance in independent cinema, only to be snubbed by the Academy as well. My friend Bernie at Reely Bernie couldn’t have described it any better:
Talk about yet another example of the gray-haired traditionalists denying smaller films and stunning performances for bigger names like Sean Penn. I’m a huge Rourke/underdog fan. He’s made some lousy decisions in his life, but onscreen, he makes you want to hug him.
Springsteen is, of course, no stranger to writing songs for films which include Streets of Philadelphia for the 1993 film of the same name, which was written for the story of a lawyer with AIDS and earned him an Academy Award for Best Original Song. He also wrote Dead Man Walkin‘ for the 1995 film Dead Man Walking, which earned him an Oscar nomination.
Further from Wikipedia – The origins of the song (The Wrestler) are based in a lost and resumed friendship between Springsteen and Wrestler lead actor Mickey Rourke. Springsteen recorded it at his Thrill Hill Recording studio in New Jersey, played all the instruments, and produced it himself.
[Intro]
Two, three, four
[Verse 1]
Have you ever seen a one-trick pony in the field, so happy and free?
If you’ve ever seen a one-trick pony, then you’ve seen me
Have you ever seen a one-legged dog making its way down the street?
If you’ve ever seen a one-legged dog, then you’ve seen me
[Chorus]
Then you’ve seen me
I come and stand at every door
Then you’ve seen me
I always leave with less than I had before
Then you’ve seen me
Bet I can make you smile when the blood, it hits the floor
Tell me, friend, can you ask for anything more?
Tell me can you ask for anything more?
[Verse 2]
Have you ever seen a scarecrow filled with nothing but dust and weeds?
If you’ve ever seen that scarecrow, then you’ve seen me
Have you ever seen a one-armed man punching at nothing but the breeze?
If you’ve ever seen a one-armed man, then you’ve seen me
[Chorus]
[Bridge]
These things that have comforted me I drive away
This place that is my home I cannot stay
My only faith’s in the broken bones and bruises I display
[Outro]
Have you ever seen a one-legged man trying to dance his way free?
If you’ve ever seen a one-legged man, then you’ve seen me
References:
1. The Wrestler (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 
I don’t believe I had heard that Bruce Springsteen song before – I like it. I suppose part of the explanation is I didn’t watch “The Wrestler.” I primarily know Mickey Rourke from “9 1/2 Weeks.” I might have seen him in a couple of additional roles – blanking on the titles of the corresponding pictures.
The movie and song go hand in hand — the song resonating deeply with the Wrestler story. I hope you get to see it.
It’s been a while since I saw this movie but I loved it…great song and I hate those award shows…I mean hate. They are mostly political…
My kids love this movie too. How they hold the camera behind the Rourke character like it’s a documentary, makes it feel even more real. It’s probably time we rewatched it.
Yeh, you are right about the political stuff in award ceremonies especially the mandatory inclusion of certain gender and race ie affirmative action.
Yea…I totally will not watch them anymore. Grammys or Oscars…because I saw that managers and actors campaign for the awards also…I started to think…it should just be given to the best movie/actor/actress…not the best campaigner
I can’t blame you there. When ‘La La Land’ inexplicably lost to ‘Moonlight’ (even embarrassingly calling out the wrong movie as winner) I was pretty much done in terms of regarding it seriously.