Bruce Springsteen has fallen into a bad habit: he uses song titles as hooks and as choruses and it is annoying. Not deadly, not if the song has legs, and his second song off his up coming album Wrecking Ball (his first the title track a couple of years back: you know when they knocked down Giants Stadium: it sucked) "We Take Care Of Our Own" is OK.
Lyrically, it is a little mush headed: "There ain't no help, the cavalry stayed home" Springsteen warns at one point and, like most of the song, you wonder who he is pointing the finger at. Since it certainly isn't himself, and it is unlikely it is the Government, who is he blaming? big business? But then why would he think big business would help out. Unemployment has been stalled at 9% for years and the government has been allowing people to take unemployment for years on end. I am not judging that but I certainly don't think Bruce has anything to complain about (on behalf of the little people, of course). The Government has done its best.
Okay, but everybody knew it would be mushy minded, it's Bruce.
Musically, there is a modern Bruce mistake. He uses the song title as both hook and chorus and he overdoes it. But the song is extremely well, like a real clean and powerful E Street Band, performed. A streamlined condemnation, the back up singers sound like doo wop and Bruce… Bruce is a touch too emotional but he isn't the worst thing I've ever heard.
Grade: B-