I totally love We Shall Overcome - The Seeger Sessions- I think it is Bruce’s best album in at least a decade - but one of the songs on the new album leaves me feeling a little uncomfortable. The historical figure of Jesse James bears little resemblance to the legend, as promoted in the song that Springsteen has chosen to record.   Jesse James was an outlaw, and whether he is remembered as a Robin Hoodesque folk hero or a ruthless killer depends largely on whereabouts in America you enquire about him. Jesse served as a guerilla in Civil War and spent much of his time in uniform terrorizing the civilian population of Missouri and Kansas that remained loyal to the Union. After the War, Jesse led a group of likeminded souls on a trail of thievery and murder motivated both by his hatred of the North and his desire for money and infamy. Jesse James’ story is as remarkable as it is terrifying.  He may have been the product of his times and no worse a man than many of those on both sides of the Civil War, who learned to hate with a passion. However much of the narrative concerning his life and exploits in the song is patently false, and it paints an image of a man very different from the real thing.   I'm more than a little surprised, and I guess disappointed, that Bruce Springsteen chose to record and play the song, especially considering how misunderstood a cultural figure he has been himself. Perhaps now I am a little closer to understanding what it felt like for fans who have found themselves turned off by Bruce’s political stance over the years. Bruce seems well aware that the song is quite untrue, although he may not be aware of the full extent of Jesse’s actions. He usually introduces the song live with a comment to the effect of; “I have no doubt that Jesse James was a real bastard, but this is a great song anyway.”   And damnit, the song sounds great, it is a fun, rousing number and Bruce's scratchy vocals are simply infectious. (If only he could still sing “Thunder Road” with this kind of passion.) If it weren't for the fact that the song advances more or less offensive historic revisionism, it might be one of my favorite songs on the album.   If there is any justification for Bruce Springsteen to push a song like this today it may be something like this: Although the legend that the song promotes is misleading in the extreme, it nevertheless makes for a great story that champions the underdog and explores the character of the outsider, - which is what Bruce Springsteen has been about ever since he sat down and wrote “Growin’ Up”. For all the bad things Jesse James did, he has somehow come to leave us with this legend which we can relate to, and which fits well with the overall message of Bruce's music.   Nevertheless, the song remains problematic to me, just imagine if someone like Jack the Ripper or were somehow to be remembered as a valiant folk hero today, or if the Washington Sniper were somehow to be remembered for anything remotely positive a hundred years from now. And the song’s inclusion on the album is, if not offensive, than certainly puzzling in the extreme. Ideologically speaking, the values Jesse James represented to his contemporaries were just about the opposite from those one might take away from “John Henry”, “Eyes on the Prize” or “We Shall Overcome”.   Did Bruce record the song because he was completely ignorant of the history behind it? Did he do it to throw a little curveball at his liberal fans, who have come to assume that the causes he champions are all ones they will agree with? Most likely, he simply did it because he liked the song. It seems clear to me that as he grows older, Bruce will continue to do whatever the hell he likes, and will surprise, challenge and reward his fans for many years to come. And I couldn’t ask for more than that.   For a more in depth, and perhaps realistic, musical exploration of the life and times of Jesse James, check out White Mansions/The Legend of Jesse James, the latter half of which tells the story of the infamous outlaw through a series of songs, featuring Levon Helm, Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris and others.   For a great read on Jesse James, try T.J. Stiles Jesse James: Last Rebel of the Civil War

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