(Credits: Far Out / Alamy)
The song starts with a simple drumbeat, one stretched out and bouncy, before a warm synth comes in and helps us ease into the track as we slip into dreams. Bruce Springsteen’s vocals are as fragile and filled with meaning as ever as he sings, “I was bruised and battered / I couldn’t tell what I felt / I was unrecognisable to myself.” ‘Streets of Philadelphia’ is undoubtedly one of his most moving numbers, and it’s hard to believe that it came about purely by accident.
Writing songs for movies is a difficult task. When AC/DC was asked to do the score Stephen King’s Maximum Overdrive, they admitted they found it particularly tough, trying to write for the mood portrayed on the screen as opposed to that which they felt in their hearts. Springsteen may have also struggled where the theme in Philadelphia was not so important.
Philadelphia was released in 1993 and was one of the first films that dealt with aids. The movie is a beautiful piece that handles the emotions of those dealing with the disease incredibly well. Though a few cliches are thrown in the mix here and there, the emotion that the picture pines for is achieved exceptionally well thanks to the efforts of the stellar cast, director, and excellent soundtrack.
“It just sort of happened by accident. Jonathan Demme called me up and said he needed a song for Philadelphia. I knew him, and I respected his work, and I knew what the picture was about,” said Springsteen, “I didn’t read the script or know anything about the film itself, but I knew that it was going to be a big Hollywood picture that dealt with aids and there hadn’t been one really yet, so that was kind of an opportunity.”
Though Springsteen is well aware that a track won’t impact the overall reception of the movie, he was happy to work with Demme on a film that meant so much to so many. “A song plays a very small part in anything,” he said, “But it was an opportunity to kind of put my two cents in. So basically, I wrote the song in a few days and sent it to him.”
Philadelphia wasn’t the only movie that Springsteen helped with the soundtrack on. He was also a part of The Crossing Guard and Dead Man Walking, both good pictures that were elevated by the music of Springsteen. “It’s just really through meeting somebody and then saying if I had something or if I could come up with something, I’d pass it on. But it’s pretty tangential,” admits Springsteen.
It makes sense that The Boss would be good at writing music for movie soundtracks. Part of what makes his sound so enticing is that it is incredibly human and emotive, so when a scene needs emotion injected into it with sound, there is no one better to call. The pictures he has worked on are a testament to his ability to write for the silver screen, but without a doubt, the best track he has ever done for a movie, and one of the best in his discography, is ‘Streets of Philadelphia’.
