The Rising

Like many of us from New Jersey, the attacks on 9-11 hit us on a way too personal level. The sights and sounds we were all used to seeing were gone; the skyline to our great city was ruined, the mood was changed, the world was different. Bruce took a lot of this pain and suffering and put it into his music with the release of his 12th studio album The Rising. The title track was released as a single in 2002. It gained critical praise and actually earned Grammy's for Best Rock Song and Best Male Vocal Performance it was also nominated for Song of the Year. 

The song is quite simple. It tells the story of a New York City Fire Department firefighter climbing one of the World Trade Towers after the hijacked planes had hit them during the attacks. The lyrics depict the surreal, desperate environment in which he finds himself. Its hard not to be emotional while listening to these words:

"Can't see nothin' in front of me

Can't see nothin' coming up behind...

I make my way through this darkness,

I can't feel nothing but this chain that binds me.

Lost track of how far I've gone

How far I've gone, how high I've climbed...

On my back's a 60-pound stone

On my shoulder a half mile of line"

Have you ever seen him perform this live? No? Please watch the video below... it explains everything.