Welcome to Springsteen Poetry Corner.
I’m guessing, of course, but I’m pretty sure that Bruce didn’t have musical accompaniment in mind when he wrote “Love Cycle” in the pages of his 1968 notebook.
Not only do the structure and meter of Bruce’s lyrics suggest a more poetic than melodic intent, the opening line and several of his phrases appear in a poem entitled “My Lady” that Bruce submitted to Seascape, the literary magazine of Ocean County College. (The magazine published Bruce’s poem in their January 1969 issue.)
“Love Cycle” shares a lot of DNA with “My Lady,” but it’s a very different piece. It appears very late in Bruce’s 1968 notebook, suggesting that it dates to the final months of that year–very possibly an early or abandoned version that gave rise to “My Lady” instead.
Bruce’s “Love Cycle” stanzas are relatively polished, suggesting he was transcribing rather than writing–at least at first. There’s a notable departure on the second page where Bruce seems inspired to riff on his circus theme, branching off to page three for the complete middle section.
Thanks to the good folks at Springsteenlyrics.com, we have a clean transcription of Bruce’s writing to analyze.
The title gives us the only clue we need to unlock Bruce’s intent: “Love Cycle” traces the course of love through one’s life, beginning with the sudden onrush that envelops new parents and binds them.
Actually, that’s not quite right–we begin with the suggestion of death in the form of a lost feather; only after it completes its fall do we greet the day with new life.
The listless feather drifts upon the wind
Casts a wounded refuge from the night’s severed wing,
Down, down, tumbling down,
Unto your hand she lies,
To kiss the blessed skin and then to die
In the morning when I rise
The silence of dawn is broken by a new child’s cry
A young girl slowly smiles as the sun breaks the sky
I find myself sinking into her gentle eyes
And my blood flows so wild
Through the rivers of her mind,
In the morning when I rise
A morning star glows with kindness
As she brings the child down by the sea
To be christened
Amidst the onrushing tide
Tiny crystals of salt water
Trickle down the newborn face
And I stand beside her
And taste the sweetened taste
Of a love we had one young sea morning
The middle section is intentionally simpler. It evokes a simpler time when our lovers’ bond was new and responsibilities few. Bruce perhaps extends the circus metaphor a bit too far, but it’s clear he does so in order to convey that while his characters may be young adults, they haven’t fully left carefree childhood behind.
Twisted roots of a torn oak tree
Bend and wind together as you and me
Then break upon the earth
Molded tightly into one to receive
The honeyed kisses of the golden sun
Remember when we were young
Remember when we were young
When we were young
Through the park we would run
When we were young
Just to sit and watch the day
When we were young
Maybe catch the circus parade
When we were young
Come into my circus tent
See the lions and elephants
Watch the silly clowns at play
Come at night and stay all day
See the lion tamer crack the sky
With the tip of his lash
Watch the man on the flying trapeze
As he swings so gracefully undaunted
In the final section of “Love Cycle,” our lovers age to and through adulthood, flashing forward to old age. Bruce hasn’t yet honed his talent for subtlety, resorting instead to on-the-nose imagery like a grandfather clock, rocking chair, and gray-haired children.
Standing in an open doorway
Hands reaching out to touch the rain
Forever, that have been weary
Now begin to change
Knowing things shall never be the same
Tainted blue coolness of a misty night
As we stood under the sheltering tree
Everything seemed so right
With your smile
I became lost in love and life
And within the heart of a grandfather clock
Gray haired children cease to sing
The worn out rocking chair
And the raven flies the morning so tired
We sat with dreams of the sun
When we were young we sang the songs
That had to be sung when we were young
We did the things that had to be done
When we were young
Worked and loved together as one when we were one
Remember when we were young
The final lines of “Love Cycle” fulfill the promise of Bruce’s title: although Bruce doesn’t (and doesn’t need to) state as much, the raven will no doubt lose a feather that tired morning, suggesting that our narrator has reached the end of his journey with a new life somewhere ready to begin.
Explore more entries from Bruce’s 1968 notebook here.
Love Cycle
Never recorded
Never released
Never performed
Looking for your favorite Bruce song? Check our full index here. New entries every week!
