We know there are Springsteen haters out there. We are not amongst them.  After being completely won over by his Born to Run tour when it came through Santa Barbara (at Robertson Gym) in 1975, we have been huge fans of Springsteen throughout the years.  Sure there have been some questionable moves and moments (and some repeated themes) mixed in with the brilliance, but at day’s end he’s only human, and there can be no denying that Springsteen has a heart of gold and has made some gospel music for these ages.  Ireland has U2, and we’ve thankfully got Bruce. Yeah, he may not be your current hipster-slacker fave, but these times call for reason and humility, which Springsteen has never lacked.  So now, just when we need it most, Springsteen has penned invaluable songs and a new album as gifts and galvanizing rallying points for this needlessly polarized nation (Limbaugh: lest you shape up, boy, you are going straight to hell).  In these songs Springsteen seeks merely to implore us to remember and rally around the historical essence of this nation:  compared to other powers, we have always taken great pains to care for our own.  Will we still do that, or will the dividers and special interests take over?  Time will tell, but Springsteen isn’t waiting around to find out. Paramount amongst the new songs off his new album are We Take Care of Our Own and Wrecking Ball, both of which were performed on the Jimmy Fallon Show, kicking off Bruce Springsteen Week on Monday night (in honor of Springsteen’s new album, Wrecking Ball, which hits this week).  Jimmy Fallon has, through his repeated emphasis of and homages to great music, become our favorite late-night host (due respect to Dave and Kimmel).

SHORTCUT:  If you’re stretched for time, just watch the two songs immediately below and the last one at the very bottom.

Check out Bruce and the band (including Tom Morello) below as they perform We Take Care of Our Own and Wrecking Ball.  Suffice it to say, after watching these performances, we were wrecked.

And then last night (on Fallon’s birthday) Springsteen capped off the week by showing up again, and Bruce and Fallon (again doffing his impressive Neil Young impersonation) covered LMFAO’s Sexy And I Know It.  Then Bruce and the E Street Band performed new songs Death To My Hometown and Jack Of All Trades.  The Roots then joined Springsteen, Tom Morello, the E Street Band and Fallon (on cowbell, natch) for a full rave-up of the rousing chestnut, The E Street Shuffle (“Everybody form a line!!!”).  Great stuff below, courtesy of the Audio Perv.