Springsteen Says a Worshipful Farewell In Belfast

The Seeger Sessions tour is now over. We attended the opening concert of the European leg back in May In Dublin, and last night the closing concert of the whole tour. The guy just gets better with age and if there is a better horn section in the world, I need to hear them. Every time the brass took centre stage the whole place came alive.

It was a slow start though, the crowd seemed subdued, totally unlike the Dublin crowd back in May which whooped and hollered from the first minute. Belfast started slowly, though this may have something to do with ‘Atlantic City’ as the opener, which would be unfamiliar to those who came upon his music because of the Seeger Sessions album.

I was hoping for, and got ‘For You’ and ‘Blinded by the Light’, utterly unrecognisable from their album versions. But these are just two highlights among many.

We were all left deeply impressed though by the closing set and left the arena wondering at the spirituality at work in Springsteen. Once again, he revealed in a wonderful way the staggeringly moving hymn at the heart of ‘When the Saints Go Marching In’. Some in the crowd were eager to sing along at the first chorus, and were expecting him to break loose into the riot that this song traditionally becomes, but he shushed everyone by saying with a smile ‘I’ll give you all a hint, this is a quiet one’. What we got was worship experience. I wonder do you know the lyrics, written by Louis Armstrong, I think:

We are traveling in the footsteps
Of those who’ve gone before
But we’ll all be reunited (but if we stand reunited)
On a new and sunlit shore (then a new world is in store)

Oh when the saints go marching in
When the saints go marching in
Oh lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

And when the sun refuse (begins) to shine
And when the sun refuse (begins) to shine
Oh lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

When the moon turns red with blood
When the moon turns red with blood
Oh lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

On that hallelujah day
On that hallelujah day
Oh lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

Oh when the trumpet sounds the call
Oh when the trumpet sounds the call
Oh lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

Some say this world of trouble
Is the only one we need
But I’m waiting for that morning
When the new world is revealed

When the revelation (revolution) comes
When the revelation (revolution) comes
Oh lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

When the rich go out and work
When the rich go out and work
Oh lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

When the air is pure and clean
When the air is pure and clean
Oh lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

When we all have food to eat
When we all have food to eat
Oh lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

When our leaders learn to cry
When our leaders learn to cry
Oh lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

Just beautiful. And haunting.

Then he went straight into ‘This Little Light of Mine’. Seriously! Never in your wildest dreams could you imagine what this plays like, with 10,000 people singing and dancing to the chorus. Surreal and brilliant.

I know I’ve written a lot on worship music on this blog. If only Bruce could attend my church!