Labor Day images from the Boss

Here are two songs offering visions, one with a dream, one all-too-real, for Labor Day 2011, courtesy of the artistic vision of Bruce Springsteen.

Car Wash

By Bruce Springsteen

Well my name is Catherine LeFevre I work at the Astrowash on Sunset and Vine I drop my kids at school in the morning And I pick them up at Mary's just 'fore suppertime CHORUS Well I work down at the car wash For a dollar and a dime And mister, I hate my boss It's at the car wash I'm doing my time Pick up my water bottle and my towel, sir And I take 'em one by one From Mercedes to VW's I do 'em all and I don't favor none CHORUS Well someday I'll sing in a night club I'll get a million-dollar break A handsome man will come here with a contract in his hand And say "Catherine, this has all been some mistake" CHORUS The Ghost of Tom Joad By Bruce Springsteen Men walkin' 'long the railroad tracks Goin' someplace there's no goin' back Highway patrol choppers comin' up over the ridge Hot soup on a campfire under the bridge Shelter line stretchin' round the corner Welcome to the new world order Families sleepin' in their cars in the southwest No home no job no peace no rest The highway is alive tonight But nobody's kiddin' nobody about where it goes I'm sittin' down here in the campfire light Searchin' for the ghost of Tom Joad He pulls prayer book out of his sleeping bag Preacher lights up a butt and takes a drag Waitin' for when the last shall be first and the first shall be last In a cardboard box 'neath the underpass Got a one-way ticket to the promised land You got a hole in your belly and gun in your hand Sleeping on a pillow of solid rock Bathin' in the city aqueduct The highway is alive tonight But where it's headed everybody knows I'm sittin' down here in the campfire light Waitin' on the ghost of Tom Joad Now Tom said "Mom, wherever there's a cop beatin' a guy Wherever a hungry newborn baby cries Where there's a fight 'gainst the blood and hatred in the air Look for me Mom I'll be there Wherever there's somebody fightin' for a place to stand Or decent job or a helpin' hand Wherever somebody's strugglin' to be free Look in their eyes Mom you'll see me." The highway is alive tonight But nobody's kiddin' nobody about where it goes I'm sittin' downhere in the campfire light With the ghost of old Tom Joad All lyrics copyright Bruce Springsteen