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of the Edmund Fitzgerald," there are definite musical nods to that song's sound as well.

The guitars on this song are scorching. The biker of the title is a dead soldier whose friends have gathered to mourn his passing. His belongings have been gathered and sold, but his friends take his bike out of the garage, polish it, and take it out into the desert and set it on fire a funeral pyre, a ceremonial goodbye.

"You asked me that question, I didn't get it right / You slipped into your darkness, now all that remains / Is my love for you brother, life's still unchanged / To him that threw you away, you ain't nothing but gone / My gypsy biker's coming home"

Another indictment of the war: "The speculators made their money on the blood you shed" and another meaningless death, another faceless number but not to this group of people. For his friends to ceremonially burn his cycle as they did, the "Gypsy Biker" must have been a hell of a guy. For me, the image is of a wild kid, a biker, a brother who becomes a straight-laced soldier and comes home in a coffin the "fool's parade" (a funeral with military honors)? I wonder if "counting white lines" at the end of the song references the endless white lines on the road, or the cemetery's endless lines of white crosses? Powerful stuff!

6. GIRLS IN THEIR SUMMER CLOTHES

During the 1988 TOL tour, Bruce often mentioned, "The girls in their summer clothes," and any male knows that girls in their summer clothes is one of the best parts of summer. This song has been said to have a "Beach Boys" feel to it, and that's undeniable. And Springsteen's descriptive, rich lyrics literally transport you to this summer evening in the neighborhood. You remember those summer nights: The bustle, the couples, the breeze, the street lights, the sights and sounds they come alive here. Springsteen the storyteller has captured those days perfectly.

"Kid's rubber ball smacks / off the gutter 'neath the lamp light / big bank clock chimes / off go the sleepy front porch lights"

Springsteen's voice is slightly echoed here and the effect works well; it almost feels like an outtake from BORN TO RUN (or DARKNESS)

And what a collection of nods to previous albums! "Frankie's" diner, "Over on the edge of town," "Tonight I'm gonna burn this town down" and more!

Yeah, the singer has lost his love (or is lamenting the halcyon days of his youth?) and the beautiful babes are passing him by (maybe he's too old for them?) but this song is upbeat and romantic, painting a rich

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