Greetings and salutations Hivers. Today let's go into another Three Tune Tuesday post.
As always, thanks to @ablaze for making this series. Lots of people participate in it! Follow the tags to find a ton of good music recommendation.
Today I'm in the mood for some comfort music, and what better person to supply that than Bob Seger.
Some singers capture a moment. Plenty of one-hit wonders who did that. Others, a generation: The Beatles, the Beach Boys, Bob Dylan. Bob Seger somehow managed to capture mood. That worn-down, late-night, heart-heavy sense of reflection and perseverance. The Midwestern Springsteen, they call him sometimes. To me, Seger’s magic lies not just in his raspy, blue-collar voice, but in his ability to pull you into a smoky room where the jukebox is always playing, the coffee’s gone cold, and you’re staring into your past.
Seger doesn’t write fantasy. He writes about what’s left: the choices made, the roads not taken, the lovers that slipped away, and the long stretches of time where nothing seemed to happen but everything did. Whether he’s writing about life on tour or a quiet night in, there’s always a sense that something was lost, but that you kept going anyway.
Maybe for that reason, while he never quite hit the level of top-tier artists like the Beatles or Michael Jackson or Billy Joel, he had a sound that just about everyone turned to at some point, and that fueled an incredibly long and successful career. He still plays, but not as often as some other stars. He invested well, is very rich, and is mostly retired now.
Let's jump in with three of his more iconic hits.
Turn the Page
If you’ve ever felt worn out, alienated, or just done with everything, this one hits. Written about the grind of touring, “Turn the Page” is practically the anthem of anyone who’s been misunderstood, pushed too far, or just plain tired. The saxophone moans like a ghost, and Seger’s delivery is pure resignation wrapped in steel. It may be about touring, but just about anyone can relate to it. You turn the page. You keep going. No matter what.
Metallica did a cover of it. You can look up if interested. But nothing beats the original.
We’ve Got Tonight
Seger’s not afraid of vulnerability, and nowhere is that more raw than here. It’s a song that doesn’t pretend everything's going to be alright: there’s no future, no promises, no fairy tale. Just two people, bruised by life, reaching for a little warmth to get through the night. It’s romantic in the real sense of being fragile, desperate, honest.
Would you believe that the first time I heard this song was watching The Wonder Years when Kevin sneaks up into Winnie's room and sits with her? Out of all the scenes from that show, it's still the one I can picture best. I guess it left an impression on me.
Against the Wind
This one’s got that nostalgic ache. It's not singing of regret, well, not exactly. It's more of a reflective, a kind of letter to your younger self. You can feel the years slipping past in every verse. It’s a song about slowing down and looking back, but not stopping.
I just love that line "Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then".
So what's your favorite?
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David is an American teacher and translator lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time and searching for the perfect haiku. He blogs here and at laspina.org. Write him on Mastodon. |