Bruce Springsteen fans are very familiar with Glory Days, but I wonder how many know about the recorded version with a 3rd verse? The recording itself also features a slightly different organ part. In all of the verses, the organ plays whole notes along with the guitar chords. It’s pretty rad!
As for the third verse, it comes in around the 2:10 mark. It’s about his father being laid off from his job and not being able to find another one because of his age. And now all he does with his time is sit around and think about the glory days.
Here’s the exact lyrics to the third verse
“My old man worked 20 years on the line
And they let him go
Now everywhere he goes out looking for work
They just tell him that he’s too old
I was 9 nine years old and he was working at the
Metuchen ford plant assembly line
Now he just sits on a stool down at the legion hall
But I can tell what’s on his mind”
I wish he left this in the final version of the song. It’s very poignant to today’s times, as older workers remain in the workforce due to the high cost of living and more restrictive retirement procedures. And I also like the increased presence of the organ throughout the whole song.
What do you think? Should The Boss have kept the third verse in Glory Days?
