Bruce Springsteen changed my life as he sang the words, "my body gone stone cold. There were worms crawling inside and out of me. my fingers scratched at an earth black six foot low, and alone in the blackness of my grave".
Those lyrics, and what followed shocked me to the centre of my being. I'm glad that I had never heard any of the Wrecking Ball album before the concert. To hear him sing "We Are Alive" in person for the first time was mind- blowing.
I was prepared for a great song. Silencing the arena, he'd introduced it as being about spirits that are passed on from generation to generation, about listening to the dead. I was ready to be impressed, as I had been by the entire concert. What I wasn't ready for was the transformative experience. Or indeed to hear the words "Worms crawling inside and out of me"!
Which was almost immediately followed by the joyous sensation of being alive, as people begin to call out in response to the words: "I heard voices calling all around me."
Suddenly all my concerns about mortality melted away and I saw how simple it was. Yes, its awful, our physical bodies decay, but our spirits, one way or another live on, continuously through those we love or those whose lives we've touched. So simple.
Gone were the frightening thoughts about my own limited time here with my children, or the very limited time remaining to my elderly and dear relatives. With his stark portrayal of being inside a coffin, already decomposing, Bruce Springsteen chases away the shadowy fears of death and brings the grim reality into the light. The humility of his singing brings us all together, reminding us all that ultimately our final fate is inevitable and shared, though we make the last journey to the grave alone. He shows us what we are afraid to think about, and then soothes with the reassurance that those who have passed are indeed alive in one way or another, not to mention significant in number.
During this song the entire audience are taken on a journey of respect and celebration. Beginning the song with the whole arena in silence, and at times shocked silence, then the catchy upbeat tune lifts spirits, chasing away the fears of mortality, replacing those fears with a huge sense of hope and purpose at being ALIVE.
I left the Brisbane concert feeling lighter than I had in years. Burdens had fallen away from me, replaced with a happiness that spilled over, as well as a sense of purpose to get on with living! I realised that there is no point in feeling alarmed at the too-short years allotted each of us, as the impermanent nature of life cannot be changed, all that we control is the genuine pleasure taken from each new day of living. We Are Alive recognises that the spirit of those who have passed continues on in us, that what we do is a reflection of what has been done before, and will continue past our time. Somehow, not only has he chased away the darkness, but he has laid down an inspirational challenge to be a part of being alive, to be mindful of those who have already left their legacy. After all, if the ghosts can sound so darned rousing "fighting shoulder to shoulder and heart to heart", then those of us who remain alive are capable of rising up as well!
The lyrics are incredible, and my realisation is that this man has answered for me a question I've been too afraid to ask myself; that is: "Whats it all about this temporary thing called life?" It is answered simply, in the words of this song "We Are Alive", "Its only our bodies that betray us in the end". Personally I am quite comforted by the idea that our spirit, one way or another will live on after that ultimate physical betrayal. I'm inspired to get out there and let my spirit shine through today, tomorrow and the day after that!
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