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song, BROKE THE MOLD, was a last minute addition to the CD when Springsteen's associate and close friend Terry Magovern passed away on July 30, 2007. Springsteen wrote the song specifically for Terry, and obviously put a lot of love into it. Without knowing the background of the song it would be easy to dismiss lines like, "Well they built the Titanic to be one of a kind, but many ships have ruled the seas / They built the Eiffel Tower to stand alone, but they could build another if they please" as contrived, but the second half of the lyrics is pure gold and will likely be quoted at funerals for years to come: "Now your death is upon us and we'll return your ashes to the earth / And I know you'll take comfort in knowing you've been roundly blessed and cursed / But love is a power greater than death, just like the songs and stories told / And when she built you, brother, she broke the mold"

The track is stripped bare, just harmonica and guitar, and reminds me of MY CITY OF RUINS.

Interestingly (but hardly surprising) the song still fits into the themes of MAGIC (losing a brother or friend, or a way of life, changing times, the loss of war, and remembering a life so different than now). Terry's song also applies to many of the characters we've met on this trip: The gypsy biker, the soldiers, the town folk, and each of us.

Springsteen continues to demonstrate that he is a man of deep feeling. he's also a hell of a songwriter.

MAGIC is a rich tapestry of America 2007, told in Springsteen's definitive style, and is a worthy addition to the catalog of the man who continues to prove it all night.

Learn more about this author, Robert Gillis.
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