The title track is the only song on Devils & Dust with obvious political implications. It offers an acute and condensed account of Springsteen's critical stance towards the war in Iraq - and towards the whole war on terrorism, as this war is being fought out under the dubious leadership of George W. Bush.
Musically Devils + Dust is a folkish rock song with a raw, admonitory singing voice. A full band is present in the background, but the key elements are Springsteen's own voice, guitar and recurring pieces on harmonica. This is all working very well, but the greatness of Devils + Dust lies first and foremost in its lyrics.
The story appears to be told by an American soldier stationed in Iraq - a man with his "finger on the trigger" but not knowing "who to trust". The soldier's irresolution finds its most profound expression in the chorus, where the meaning of the song's title comes to light. The soldier is wondering about the damaging effects that fear can have on a person - and he states that it will "take your god filled soul, fill it with devils and dust".
As documented by the notorious breaches of discipline among the Western troops in Iraq, the vulnerability of the soul in the face of fear is a very relevant issue in regards to the psychology of soldiers. But obviously, Springsteen is aiming much broader with Devils + Dust. For the fear in question is not only the concrete fear experienced by the soldier, as he is trying to survive "a long long way from home". It might just as well be the more abstract fear - the sense of a threat to his country - which originally motivated him go to war. And this is a fear that he shares with the politicians who send him, with the voters who elected these politicians, eventually with the American people as such.
So the real question asked by Devils + Dust is whether the fear generated by terrorism is about to corrupt the soul of America. A question pointing right into the dilemmas of a democracy fighting a treacherous enemy while preserving its identity as a democracy. Well, you might disagree with Springsteen about the incapability of the Bush-administration in handling this dilemma. And you might even complain that his song is bad news for the morale of the American troops in Iraq. But you can't escape the seriousness of the question being asked. In fact, you would have to be a Fascist - or, conversely, an Islamic extremist - to not worry about it at all.
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