Tunnel of Love: Bruce Springsteen's Divorce Album Before The Divorce (Music Monday)

It's easy for two people to lose each other

You know that thing where you listen to something and think "oh, this isn't going to end well"? That was me, October 1987, first spin of Tunnel of Love.

Let's set the scene: Bruce was coming off Born in the USA, which wasn't just an album - it was a phenomenon. The kind of success that changes everything. He'd gone from "beloved rock star" to "global icon."

And somewhere in there, he married Julianne Phillips. Beautiful actress, all-American story, perfect for the all-American rock star. Except...well, we'll get to that.

The E Street Band? Basically told to take a very long coffee break. Bruce recorded most of Tunnel of Love himself, bringing in the band members here and there like session musicians. Which, when you think about it, was probably the first sign something was up.

I remember putting the cassette in (yes, I'm that old) and thinking "This is...different." Gone were the wall-of-sound anthems. Instead, we got intimate, stripped-down songs about doubt, fear, and trust. Or more accurately, distrust.

"Brilliant Disguise" wasn't exactly subtle: "God have mercy on the man who doubts what he's sure of."

After just one listen, at 17 years old, I knew this wasn't an album written by a happily married man. This was Bruce working something out in real time, through his songs.

Now you play the loving woman, I'll play the faithful man

But just don't look too close into the palm of my hand

We stood at the altar, the gypsy swore our future was right

But come the wee wee hours, well maybe, baby, the gypsy lied

Not exactly a Valentine’s Day Card.

Sure enough, by '89, Bruce and Julianne were done. He ended up with Patti Scialfa from the E Street Band (and they're still together, so maybe he figured out whatever he was wrestling with on this album).

Here's the thing though - Tunnel of Love has aged like fine wine. While Born in the USA sounds exactly like 1984 (in the best way), and 2020’s Letter To You was the album we wanted in 1986, Tunnel of Love could have come out yesterday. The production is clean and simple, and the themes? Well, let's just say relationship anxiety never goes out of style.

Songs like "One Step Up" and "When You're Alone" hit differently now than they did then. In '87, they felt like warning signs. Now they feel like universal truths about relationships - the doubt, the fear, the wondering if you're good enough.

Bruce would go on to dismiss the E Street Band properly after this (don't worry, they got back together), make a couple of "Bruce Springsteen And The Fake Band" albums - one pretty strong, one less so - and eventually find his way back home, both personally and musically.

But Tunnel of Love stands as maybe his most honest album. It's Bruce without the mythology, without the characters, without the larger-than-life stories. Just a guy trying to figure out why happily-ever-after wasn't feeling so happy.

The title track Tunnel of Love remains my favorite Springsteen song. Long Walk Home (from Magic) is my second.

(Side note: Has anyone else noticed that "Two Faces" could be about Bruce Springsteen™️ vs. actual Bruce Springsteen? Just saying...)