Local Hero by Bruce Springsteen

Album: Lucky Town (1992)

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In this song, Springsteen plays the part of a guy who becomes a religious charlatan, convincing the citizens of a town that he could offer salvation.

The story is made up, but Bruce claims the first verse is true. While visiting his home town of Freehold, New Jersey, he spotted his own picture in the window of a five-and-dime next to a velvet Bruce Lee. He went in and asked the clerk about it, and she told him it was a picture of a "local hero."
This is part of Springsteen's Lucky Town album, which he recorded without his E Street Band. Bruce played most of the instruments on the track, with Gary Mallaber adding drums. His wife, Patti Scialfa, is one of the backup singers. He played it on his subsequent tour but infrequently after.
The album was released in 1992 simultaneously with another Springsteen album, Human Touch. These were his first albums without the E Street Band, which he reunited in 1999. Springsteen was going through lots of changes in his personal life; he had divorced his first wife, Julianne Phillips, and married Scialfa. Their first two children were born by the time the albums were released.
Springsteen performed this on his 1992 MTV "Plugged" concert, but it didn't make the album or video. It was included on the DVD release in 2004.

Comments: 5

Johnnie Angel, Video Guitar Guru from New JerseyNo. The man in black is the devil or another supernatural person who promises worldly success in return for a person's soul. Cf. Robert Johnson at the Crossroads who met the man who gave him the skills to be a great blues guitar player. This is based on some African folklore, and the place where such an agreement is made has to be where two roads meet (for a decision to be made), or a place for transportation (with decisions where to go) such as a train station (as in Robert Johnson's Love in Vain). The man in black talks about saving a soul, which is a lie, but promises beautiful women and dangerous money to be made. For Bruce, the Devil pays off. He learned his job well, fit himself with a legend and a story to tell. During the MTV performance, he said he had a sad story to tell, which is that he got his wife to go into the store and purchase the day-glo on black velvet painting. He hung it in the vestibule just inside the door of his house, and expected people to laugh when they walked in. Nobody laughed. That's why its a sad story. There is some downside to success. He is now different from the way he was before, and the way other people are, and part of the realization is when he expects people to laugh at the painting, but they don't. Maybe he thinks that people expect him to now have such a large ego that, with seriousness, he would put such an absurd picture of himself at the entrance to his house.
Simone from ItalyI completely disagree, Bruce here doesn't play the part of a charlatan. It's a song about the perception of himself with all the limitations and struggles while he's seen as a hero... until they bring the rope to hang him. The guy at the train station tells him that he can be saved, and he actually feels he needs to. The lines about the whisky line and the desperation are quite clear. Butt he's seen as a hero.
Floyd Lamore from Collge Park Maryland, FlThe College Park Kid thinks this is Bruce's best effort, sadly w/out THE Band. Sometimes I think of my hometown College Park and my running budies, Bo,JB,Ronnie, and the infamous Art Carney. When I re-visit the heritage hits me and this song will blare. Forgive my indulgence, but the Boss creates bonding similarities in his music and this song jumped out at me when I first heard the disc. Leap of Faith and Living Proof and on from there. Being near the Nation's Capital as a college Vet in the early '70's I would have the incredible good fortune to know who to talk to for a front row table in the small venues he was then playing. Like The Childe Harolde and Cellar Door, with his guitar picks on my table, our liquid courage and his incredible creative energy of Rosalita etc... surrounding us. So many wonderful times and magic and then this disc speaking concisely to his life. UNREAL yet so grateful. Thank you for the lift BOSS.
Gene from San Diego, CaGreat song, one of the best on the album. The line "if they make us the boss, the devil pays off" might have some relevance to his name (The Boss)...
Tyler from Hamilton, CanadaThe picture was valued at 19.99 so Bossman tells everyone in the Mtv Plugged concern in 92.

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