This is not a party record and you do not want to play these songs in a bar- at least not any bar I've ever been to. This is an intimate and painful work, and I imagine those who purchased this album in 1987 expecting Born in the U.S.A. Part 2 probably threw it in the trash- or left it in a cabin. The themes of Tunnel of Love include marriage, infidelity, emptiness, regret, and how at least these things can make you feel alive- for a while. Some say monogamy goes against man’s natural state, but man’s wounded natural state is a result of original sin. As Christians we believe one cannot have a fruitful marriage without God’s grace, and a successful marriage requires love, patience, sacrifice, prayer, and obedience to God- all things Christ teaches us by example.
There are no short cuts in marriage- it’s always going to be a work in progress, ‘til death do us part- and the road to the divorce attorney’s office is paved with good intentions. To me it sounds like the characters in these songs got married for all the wrong reasons and are now living with the results. They’d give anything to find a way out of the darkness but they just keep making one mistake after another. Instead of obeying God’s law they are just following their own selfish desires and still dreaming of a perfect lover who doesn’t even exist. The scariest moments on the album are about waking up and realizing your spouse is a stranger- and just how easy it is to find comfort in the arms of someone else, someone who is nice and who seems to understand you even though you’ve only just met them.
If you're patient, Tunnel of Love continues to throw you little surprises upon repeated listening and Side 2 is where the Boss really brings home the bacon. The last song- “Valentine's Day”- I don’t think it’s about his ex-wife; it’s about the one who got away. Grade: B+
Listen to songs from the album on Spotify...
... or check out the playlist on YouTube
(To open music in separate window, click title bar at top of video box)
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