Sometimes writers, when discussing their work, are challenged about a piece that may not have landed quite as they had hoped. More specifically, "hey, how come that TV show/movie/comic book sucked?" Often the misses are chalked up to "reasons beyond our control" or simply "oops", but if there's one thing I've discovered over the years, it is that critical opinion is not monolithic. So while most vocal critical people may hate-hate-HATE something, there's almost always someone who actually liked it. Strike that, there will be folks who just loved it.
If a so-called creative person plugs along long enough, they'll probably wind up with a few ugly step-children, the projects that clearly didn't come together as planned but still have a place in your heart.
Why, even Mr. Bruce Springsteen has a few. I would imagine if he really hated a song from his catalog, he just wouldn't play it. But on his most recent tour he started to play his E-Street albums from top to bottom, and when he did "The River" it was clear that the song "Crush On You" was not one of his favorites. He sarcastically called the song a "hidden masterpiece" from the River, and then proceeded to rip off a killer performance.
Here's the thing. I'm one of the goofball fans who always loved that song. When I saw Springsteen in Portland Or. on the actual River tour in the early 80's, the performance of "Crush On You" was a highpoint. So how do I process it when the man himself disses it as one of his least favorite songs? Why, I write a blog post, of course.
But here, you can make up your own mind. First, of course, every sentient human on Earth should have a copy of the River CD. So, start there. Then, thanks to Google and the amazing YouTube, you can judge an assortment of "Crush On You" performances for yourself!
Here are the lyrics --
My feets were flyin' down the street just the other night
When a Hong Kong special pulled up at the light
What was inside, man, was just c'est magnifique
I wanted to hold the bumper and let her drag me down the street.
Ooh, ooh I gotta crush on you
Ooh, ooh I gotta crush on you
Ooh, ooh I gotta crush on you tonight
Sometimes I spot a little stranger standing 'cross the room
My brain takes a vacation just to give my heart more room
For one kiss, darling I swear everything I would give
Cause you're a walking, talking reason to live
Ooh, ooh I gotta crush on you
Ooh, ooh I gotta crush on you
Ooh, ooh I gotta crush on you tonight
Well now she might be the talk of high society
She's probably got a lousy personality
She might be a heiress to Rockefeller
She might be a waitress or a bank teller
She makes the Venus de Milo look like she's got no style
She makes Sheena of the Jungle look meek and mild
I need a quick shot, Doc, knock me off my feet
Cause I'll be minding my own business walking down the street... watchout !
Ooh, ooh I gotta crush on you
Ooh, ooh I gotta crush on you
Ooh, ooh I gotta crush on you tonight
This site will sell you a "Crush On You" ringtone!
http://www.metrolyrics.com/crush-on-you-lyrics-bruce-springsteen.html
Here's Bruce doing Crush, live from November, 1980 --
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrcky9wOIqQ
And here's an outtake from the River sessions (!)...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfJDg6hNXNg&feature=related
