2207 – Bruce Springsteen – Highway patroman (1982)

Escrita por Bruce Springsteen, foi gravada em janeiro de 1982 e lançada em 30 de setembro de 1982, no disco Nebraska, o sexto disco de Bruce. Foi produzida por Bruce Springsteen. Fala da história de Joe Roberts e seu irmão Frankie. Se passa nos anos 60s. Frankie era um causador de problema e Joe o irmão que sempre aparecia pra tirá-lo dos problemas. Em 1965 Frankie entra no exército e Joe compra uma granja e casou com Maria, que aparentemetne tinha a atenção dos dois irmãos. Três anos depois, o preço do trigo caiu e Joe perdeu a granja e pegou um trabalho como Patrulheiro de Estrada. Em 1968, Frankie deixa o exército e volta pra casa. Uma noite, Joe recebe um telefonema dizendo que um garto havia sido atacado em um bar e estava entre a vida e a morte e a garçonete disse que tinha sido Frankie que tinha batido no rapaz. Joe começa a caçar Frankie nas estradas rurais de Michigan e finalmente Frankie atravessa a fronteira pro Canadá. Joe deixou seu irmão fugir. Sean Penn escreveu o screenplay pra um filme baseado nessa canção. Se chama The Indian Runner, de 1991. Foi regravada por Johnny Cash, entre outros artistas. Bruce cantou, tocou violão, gaita e bandolim.

A letra:

My name is Joe Roberts
I work for the state
I'm a sergeant out of Perrineville
Barracks number 8
I always done an honest job
As honest as I could
I got a brother named Franky
And Franky ain't no good

Now ever since we was young kids
It's been the same come down
I get a call on the short-wave
Franky's in trouble downtown
Well if it was any other man
I'd put him straight away
But when it's your brother
Sometimes you look the other way

Me and Franky laughin' and drinkin'
Nothin' feels better than blood on blood
Takin' turns dancin' with Maria
As the band played "Night of the Johnstown Flood"
I catch him when he's strayin'
Like any brother would
Man turns his back on his family
Well he just ain't no good

Well Franky went in the army, back in 1965
I got a farm deferment
Settled down, took Maria for my wife
But them wheat prices kept on droppin'
'Til it was like we were gettin' robbed
Franky came home in '68
And me, I took this job

Yeah we're laughin' and drinkin'
Nothin' feels better than blood on blood
Takin' turns dancin' with Maria
As the band played "Night of the Johnstown Flood"
I catch him when he's strayin'
Teach him how to walk that line
Man turns his back on his family
He ain't no friend of mine

Well the night was like any other
I got a call 'bout quarter to nine
There was trouble in a roadhouse
Out on the Michigan line
There was a kid lyin' on the floor lookin' bad
Bleedin' hard from his head
There was a girl cryin' at a table
And it was Frank, they said

Well I went out and I jumped in my car
And I hit the lights
Well I must of done a hundred and ten
Through Michigan county that night
It was out at the crossroads
Down round Willow bank
Seen a Buick with Ohio plates
Behind the wheel was Frank
Well I chased him through them county roads
'Til a sign said Canadian border five miles from here
I pulled over the side of the highway
And watched his tail lights disappear

Me and Franky laughin' and drinkin'
Nothin' feels better than blood on blood
Takin' turns dancin' with Maria
As the band played "Night of the Johnstown Flood"
I catch him when he's strayin'
Like any brother would
Man turns his back on his family
Well he just ain't no good

A versão de Bruce Springsteen:

A versão de Johnny Cash:

A versão de Carson McKee: