Today's song is "Into the Fire". It's from the CD "The Rising", which came out in July 2002 and was widely regarded as being in response to 9/11.

Here is an anecdote which may illustrate why his fans are so passionate about Bruce. It's not unusual for rock stars to have passionate fans, of course, but there is something different about it. For starters he is a huge rock star who doesn't act like a rock star. He comes across as a regular guy without airs. And he gives the fans' passion back, both in the way he interacts with them and for giving it his all every show. (He gained his reputation in no small part from his legendary 4 hour shows). In any event, in the aftermath of 9/11, like many others he followed the New York Times's "Portraits of Grief" series. Every day in the paper there was a full page of short pieces about people who died in the attacks, a picture and a few paragraphs about each of them. It went on for months. One of the victims was a firefighter who, his piece mentioned, was a huge Bruce Springsteen fan. Bruce called up the widow and talked to her on the phone for an hour. She said afterwards that the phone call helped her get through the early stages of her own grief.

(http://www.nytimes.com/pages/national/portraits/)

INTO THE FIRE

The sky was falling and streaked with blood
I heard you calling me, then you disappeared into the dust
Up the stairs, into the fire
Up the stairs, into the fire
I need your kiss, but love and duty called you someplace higher
Somewhere up the stairs, into the fire

May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love

May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love

You gave your love to see, in fields of red and autumn brown
You gave your love to me and lay your young body down
Up the stairs, into the fire
Up the stairs, into the fire
I need you near, but love and duty called you someplace higher
Somewhere up the stairs, into the fire

May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love

May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love

May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love

It was dark, too dark to see, you held me in the light you gave
You lay your hand on me
Then walked into the darkness of your smoky grave
Up the stairs, into the fire
Up the stairs, into the fire
I need your kiss, but love and duty called you someplace higher
Somewhere up the stairs, into the fire

May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love

May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love

May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love

May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love

May your love bring us love