An Ice Cream Truck on a Deserted Street

This is not my first foray into blogging about one of the most widely reviled songs in the Springsteen canon.

Today, I come to bury “Waiting on a Sunny Day,” not to praise it.

I agree with what I said eight years ago (eight years?!), which is that “Sunny Day” is a nice moment for the casual fans that only see the Boss every few years at most, and die-hards should use it as a beer or bathroom break if they really can’t tolerate the sight of another off-tune kid singing on stage.

Why did Bruce play this song every night? In his usual set list, it’s there as a break. It’s an unreserved moment of uptempo hopeful celebration. He can drag the crowd through a six-pack that touches on the dark side of the American dream, and then get right back to the rock party with a single song.

I am curious as to why he doesn’t try OTHER songs in this spot. Here are a few ideas.

“Where the Bands Are”: Any River-era throwaway rocker woul work here; he could rotate in “I’m A Rocker” or “Crush On You.” The idea is something blatantly uptempo, fun to play, and honestly, slightly stupid. “Sherry Darling” would work here too.

“Ain’t Good Enough For You”: Another one that could be swapped out with any one of a number of “rock/soul” tunes, from “So Young And In Love” to “Lion’s Den.” Something with lots of open spaces for dancing, solos and silliness.

“Hungry Heart”: He plays this a lot, in a lot of spots, but not necessarily every night. That opening drum roll is an instant moment of recognition and wild cheering. Just as “The Rising” has gained an unofficial spot in the set of songs that close out the main set, make this well-known hit a party song to brighten up the night.

“Heaven’s Wall”: OK, this is a wild card pick, but I’ve always loved this number from High Hopes, and it has some great moments that would lend themselves to crowd engagement (like that opening “raise your hands” vocal, which could be extended and used to rile the crowd up). Also has a few nice spots for extended solos. It would be a little less celebratory but still a big chance for crowd work.

“Roll of the Dice”: Dipping into the “other band” era would certainly turn some heads in this spot, and “Dice” has a rollicking vibe and piano riff that could get the crowd moving.

“Queen of the Supermarket”: Just checking to see if you’re still reading.