Power Pop Friday – Nils Lofgren – Across The Tracks

This one is an excellent power pop song. This is what power pop is all about. It’s a radio-friendly catchy song with some power behind it. I’ve been pleasantly surprised at listening to his solo works and his 70’s band Grin.

Across The Tracks was on the 1983 album Wonderland. The album is very accessible with catchy songs and his vocals are strong.

Most people know Nils Lofgren from The E-Street Band. He joined them in 1984 to replace Steven Van Zandt. When Van Zandt came back, Bruce made the correct decision to keep both guitar players. Nils also played for Neil Young in the seventies. Lofgren joined Neil Young’s band in 1968 at age 17, playing piano on the album After the Gold Rush. Lofgren would maintain a close relationship with Young, appearing on his Tonight’s the Night album and tour among others. He was also briefly a member of Crazy Horse, appearing on their 1971 LP and contributing songs to their catalog.

He was born in Chicago and he moved to the Washington, D.C., area as a teenager. His first instrument was the accordion. He was also a competitive gymnast in high school, a skill that popped up later in his career. I remember seeing him with the E Street Band and he would do a flip from a trampoline. You can also see it in this video.

From 1971 to 1974 Lofgren was in a band he founded in 1969, a band named Grin. After landing a record deal in ’71 the band released 4 critically-acclaimed albums but met with little commercial success. He followed that band up with some solo albums that weren’t huge commercial successes but he earned the respect of his peers as an excellent guitarist and singer-songwriter.

Across The Tracks

Across the tracks there’s a girl who loves meJust as much as I love herWe are unified still crucifiedJust because we live across the tracks, yeah

White or black, day or nightWhat’s the difference when you’ve hurt someone?You can walk tall, you can act smallAny fool can fire a gun

Across the tracks there’s a girl who loves meJust as much as I love herWe are unified still crucifiedJust because we live across the tracks, yeah alright yeah

So we slip away and pretend to playAnd it said how families make you runIf my daddy ever caught me kissing herI believe he would shoot his son

But we’re growin’ up and there’ll come a dayWhen the real world makes us run awayNow we live in shame and play their silly gameSoon we’ll be gone and I don’t have to say, yeah

Across the tracks there’s a girl who loves meJust as much as I love herWe are unified still we’re crucifiedJust because we live across the tracks, yeah

Across the tracks, across the tracksWe won’t stand forever across the tracksAcross the tracks, across the tracks, oh

…

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

29 thoughts on “Power Pop Friday – Nils Lofgren – Across The Tracks”

  3. Love this tune. Nils has ben pumping out music for a long time. I remember when he joined Bruce and he’d do his little flip thing during the show. You have been exposing me as a pop guy and I didnt even know it. Chuck is a piece of work . You must love that story. Good work Max I’m digging this as I type.

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    1. This really got me into listening to his other stuff…quality music down the line. I find it incredible that Grin didn’t make more noise. It’s a lot like this…just a touch more seventies. CB the pop guy! No this is a great pop/rock track as is the entire album.

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  6. Good song and not quite sure I had heard it before. When I think of Nils Lofgren, I primarily think of him as a side man who has been associated with Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young’s Crazy Horse.

    The only solo song by Lofgren I could name was “Shine Silently”, which I also like. “Across the Tracks” is a good reminder of Nils Lofgren, the solo artist, who has released 14 solo albums sine his eponymous debut from 1975.

    Full disclosure: I did review Lofgren’s most recent studio album “Mountains” last August. I enjoyed what I heard but don’t recall the title of any particular track. I realize this doesn’t exactly sound like a ringing endorsement! 🙂

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    1. Sorry Christian…I got busy today.
      Oh…don’t forget the band he was in called Grin….I’m going over them now. Some really good music.
      We listen to so much music…I can’t remember what I heard last week! So…I know how you feel.

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  7. Very interesting post about a man whose name I’m familiar with but not much else. I learned a lot from reading and listening to the first video. Good tune and boy howdy he’s limber. I can see where Keith’s description of Chuck was being kind. I wonder if that performance was recorded? I need to go youtubing and try to find it.

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    1. He is a great guitar player,…of course when Bruce replaces Steven Van Zandt with you…you are pretty good! He had a big history with Neil Young. I remember him in concert with Bruce….he put on a show!

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