Even now, almost eighteen years later, “You’re Missing” hits like a punch to the gut.<\/p>\n
Until Bruce released it on The Rising<\/em> in 2002, we didn’t know how much we needed this song. Still reeling from a national tragedy, it seemed that everyone in America knew someone directly affected by the 9\/11 terror attacks, and we were still grappling with how to process it.<\/p>\n There had been calls to arms, calls to caution, and calls to nationalism disguised as patriotism (or maybe it was the other way around).\u00a0 But no one had yet expressed in words the loss the nation was feeling.<\/p>\n And then, in the summer of 2002 came\u00a0The Rising,\u00a0<\/em>Bruce Springsteen’s first album of new original material in seven years.\u00a0The Rising<\/em> was and still is commonly considered a 9\/11 album, but in truth most of the songs had been written, performed, and in some cases recorded long before.<\/p>\n But towards the end of the album comes a remarkable three-song sequence that directly addresses the tragedy of the year before. The title track is the centerpiece, drawing us into a 9\/11 first responder’s final moments. “The Rising<\/a>” is bookended by two songs that focus on the loss felt by those left behind by the ones who rose on that day.<\/p>\n