Bruce Springsteen - My City of Ruins

On Tuesday, 22 February 2011 at around 12.51am local time, New Zealand's second city Christchurch suffered a most horrific earthquake of 6.3 magnitute on the Richter Scale, resulting from a collision of the Australasian and Pacific tectonic plates with the epicenter of the quake just 3 miles below under the Canterbury region and, fatally, right below the city.

While smaller in magnitude than the September 2010 quakes, the latest tremors were more damaging and disastrous.
The New Zealand Prime Minster, John Key, has declared a national state of emergency and authorities have imposed a curfew following looting of som irresponsible citizens.
Police have said the death toll has risen to 145 to date, with no survivors found since a woman was rescued on Wednesday afternoon. More than 200 people are still missing...
The city of Christchurch has also suffered unimaginable damage, with many buildings having collapsed. The iconic cathedral has suffered irreparable damage.

Thinking of the people, here is a song by Bruce Springsteen called My City of Ruins.

Initially written late 2000, Bruce Springsteen wanted to help promote the revitalization of Asbury Park (New Jersey, US) he was born closeby and which was once a popular resort destination in the late 1800s and early 1900s, but had succumbed to significant amounts of blight, including the ill-effects of the Great Depression and race riots.
My City of Ruins was first played on December 17, 2000 at Asbury Park Convention Hall, but the song took on an entirely new meaning soon after the 11 September 2011, offering a message of hope and rising from the ruins. The most famous live performance of the song came ten days after, during the 'America: A Tribute to Heroes national' telethon. With only a guitar and a harmonica, Springsteen opened the program, introducing the number as a prayer for our fallen brothers and sisters and modifying a few phrases in the song.
A studio recording was then included as the last track of his album The Rising.

The song has now special signifcance to many New Zealanders in the wake of th earthquake of 22 February 2011.

Bruce Springsteen - My City of Ruins (2000)



Lyrics:

The song first starts describing the current state of Asbury Park, the deterioration, and the absence of people in the area
Throughout the song, Springsteen continues to describe the city using images such as men loitering on a street corner and buildings with boarded up windows. The song ends, however, on a hopeful and optimistic note by powerfully imploring the city to rise up from the decay.


There's a blood red circle
on the cold dark ground
and the rain is falling down
The church doors blown open
I can hear the organ's song
But the congregation's gone

My city of ruins

Now the sweet veils of mercy
drift through the evening trees
Young men on the corner
like scattered leaves
The boarded up windows
The hustlers and thieves
While my brother's down on his knees

My city of ruins - My city of ruins
Come on rise up! - Come on rise up!

Now there's tears on the pillow
darling where we slept
and you took my heart when you left
without your sweet kiss
my soul is lost, my friend
Now tell me how do I begin again?

My city's in ruins - My city's in ruins

Now with these hands
I pray Lord
with these hands
for the strength Lord
with these hands
for the faith Lord
with these hands
I pray Lord
with these hands
for the strength Lord
with these hands
for the faith Lord
with these hands

Come on rise up! - Come on rise up!
Rise up