According to USA Today:
Bruce Springsteen surrounded himself with lovely ladies today as his European roots were celebrated at Ellis Island. Joined by his mother Adele, 85 (center), and aunts Dora Kirby, 90, (left) and Ida Urbellis, 87, the rocker was given the Ellis Island Family Heritage Award, given to immigrants or their descendants “who have made a major contribution to the American experience.”
Said The Boss, “You can’t really know who you are and where you’re going unless you know where you came from.” His maternal great-grandmother, Raffaela Zerilli, arrived at Ellis Island from Vico Equense, Italy, on Oct. 3, 1900, with five kids in tow. The rest is history.
Springsteen’s mother Adele (see above) who was the granddaughter of Raffaela Zerilli, married an Irish American, Douglas Springsteen. They had 3 kids who were raised in New Jersey. When the Boss was 16 his mother borrowed the money to buy him a guitar. He taught himself to play it and millions of recordings later, he is truly THE BOSS.
Across the Border
Lyrics on next page
Across the Border
Tonight my bag is packed
Tomorrow I’ll walk these tracks
That’ll lead me across the border
Tomorrow my love and I
Will sleep ‘neath auburn skies
Somewhere across the border
We’ll leave behind my dear
The pain and sadness we found here
And we’ll drink from the Bravo’s muddy waters
Where the sky grows grey and white
We’ll meet on the other side
There across the border
For you I’ll build a house
High up on a grassy hill
Somewhere across the border
Where pain and memory
Pain and memory have been stilled
There across the border
And sweet blossoms fill the air
Pastures of gold and green
Roll down into cool clear waters
And in your arms ‘neath open skies
I’ll kiss the sorrow from your eyes
There across the border
Tonight we’ll sing the songs
I’ll dream of you my corazon
And tomorrow my heart will be strong
And may the saints’ blessings and grace
Carry me safely into your arms
There across the border
For what are we
Without hope in our hearts
That someday we’ll drink from God’s blessed waters
And eat the fruit from the vine
I know love and fortune will be mine
Somewhere across the border
Just great to see and hear the accordion in that Springsteen video. You don’t see that instrument all that much anymore. Mrs. W plays it and has done so since she was just a little girl. Back in the old days on the High Plains, she used to play at Grange events, accompanied by her father on the harmonica. Even further back in the early 1930’s, her father had played harmonica in a “cowboy band” on a local radio station. She can put out a sweet “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling” or “Mexicali Rose” or just rouse the room with “Scotland the Brave” or a polka that will get your toes to tapping. The grandkids just loved it. The little ones would stand beside her when she was playing and press a key or two, adding a bit of unexpected zip to the song. Thanks to The Boss for bringing back such pleasant thoughts.
Cheer Mrs. W! I don’t think I know a real person who plays accordion. It is an old fashioned instrument for sure.
Yeah, I just had to watch that video again. I always thought that there was some kind of magic between the accordion and a person who really knew how to make it sing. Did you catch it when the camera did a closeup on the accordion player? Did you see the smile come over his face? I’ll be darned if Mrs. W doesn’t do the same exact thing. She will be putting her instrument through its paces and suddenly her eyes become dreamy and she breaks out into a smile, like for just that moment she and her instrument are together in another dimension far apart from all the rest of us.