The Back Half of the Back Nine - Part One - Tabula Rasa

Last week, I gained access to my new classroom. I suspect it will also be my final classroom. I've moved enough and, although I won't say the "R-word", I'll use golfing parlance and say: "I am on the back half of the back nine". When I began this blog, I named it The 50-20 in deference to my age (I was turning 50) and the number of years I had been teaching (I was entering my 20th). Now, at 54 and 24, I feel this overwhelming desire to get everything right.

Most people want to "get it right" whether they are trying something new or getting a fresh start. But, this time, my emotional experience has been palpable. I'm planning on taking plenty of chances this year and I am putting 23 years' of experience into this adventure. However, I approach it with trepidation because I know the first few weeks are key to building relationships with new students.
  I learned so much during the past two years as an Instructional Coach. 
It provided me with...

• hours of high quality professional development presented by experts in mathematics, literacy and pedagogical practice.
• the opportunity to work with a highly-engaged coaching team as well as many passionate teachers in our board. 
• the chance to visit dozens of classes, from Kindergarten to Grade 8, and learn something new with every visit.
• the time to read and discuss a wide range of articles and books provided to me by my supervisory team.

However, I was most moved by the opportunity to collaborate with TVDSB Learning Coordinator Rick Pardo and learn about the school in a school approach to education. I also had a chance to connect with the Intermediate Educators from Summer's Corners Public School who have embraced successfully this pedagogical trajectory. 

Now, I am ready to take the next step and build on the Project Based Learning, Genius Hour, Passion and Inquiry-based approaches that I explored with my last classroom in 2017. I hope to engage my students by encouraging them to be stakeholders in their own education. I am moving away from the dissemination of knowledge and facts but encouraging them to expand their understanding of local and global issues and making them realize that they can impact positively their own community.

"I want to uncover the curriculum with my student, not cover it."

Right on cue, the pre-school, August teacher nightmares have begun. It's a fairly universal experience for teachers:

• You're late and can't get your fingers press the buttons on your cellular phone to call in.
• You keep getting lost and delayed in a labyrinth of corridors that somehow connect your former high school to every school you've ever taught at.
• You may have forgotten your pants and you certainly have no plan for today.
• Your students are beyond unruly - they are defiant and hostile on a level that makes the Attica Prison Riot seem like a tea party. 

However, I remain cautiously optimistic, bolstered by some unexpected encouragement. After spending two days clearing and organizing my new classroom - I shared a short video of my room with a Tweet. It said:

"Starting the year with a community circle. Nothing on the walls. After some Ice Breakers that respect introverts, the first challenge is...Where do we put the desks, mine included, and how do we move them regularly in a way that respects the floor and the class below us?"   

It received more than 20,000 impressions with 8,000 views, 300 Likes, 35 Retweets and 19 Comments. I'll admit, there is an endorphin rush that comes with that much affirmation. It has also buttressed my confidence as I continue planning for the first week of school.

The most common inquiries were about "Icebreakers that respect Introverts". I will detail the approach in my next post - after I try them out with my students.

The 500 - #463 - Echo and the Bunnymen - Heaven up Here

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

My plan (amended). 

• 1 or 2 records per week & at least 2 complete listens.
• A quick blog post for each, highlighting the important details and a quick background story.
• No rating scale - just an effort to expand my appreciation.

Album # 463

Album Title: Heaven Up Here
Artist: Echo and the Bunnymen
Released: May, 1981
My age at release: 15
How familiar am I with it: Not at all
Song I am putting on my Spotify Mix: Broke My Neck
Great Lyric:
Just when the thought occurs
The panic will pass
And the smell of the fields
Never lasts
We'll put your faith
In those crimson nights
Set sail
In those turquoise days
(Turquoise Days)

As I mentioned in a previous post about The Smiths, I wasn't a fan of many of the new-wave, post-punk bands of the late seventies and early eighties. A friend humourously dubbed them "And I don't know why?" bands because you can sing that lyric in a faux-British accent (punctuated with a tone of existential sadness) and it always seems to fit perfectly into any song from that genre. 

I'll admit, I've always liked the name of the band. It sounded like something Monty Python would dream up. It would fit perfectly in their Rock Notes Sketch from the Contractual Obligation Album.

It took several listens, but this album grew on me. I particularly like the bass work by Les Pattinson and the atmospheric rhythms created by drummer Pete de Freitas. The lyrics lean heavily on the stuff of twenty-something angst: hypocrisy, betrayal and the overwhelming feeling of lost potential. In a different life, I might have connected with this record when I was in my twenties. However, it came out when I was 15 and, at that time, I was deeply invested in the majesty of hard and progressive rock. Now, at 54, it doesn't land for me - but, it's an interesting snapshot of a different time and attitude.

Things I learned

• The album cover was photographed on a beach in South Wales, near the town of Porthcawl. Fish guts were spread across the sand to attract the birds that fly overhead.
• The band originally formed without a drummer and used a drum machine instead. Many fans assumed that the drum machine was "Echo". This has been denied by the band. Echo and the Bunnymen was a silly name suggested to them by a friend...there is no Echo.
• Only guitarist Will Sergeant has been with them in their many incarnations.

The 500 - #464 - Def Leppard - Hysteria

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

My plan (amended). 

• 1 or 2 records per week & at least 2 complete listens.
• A quick blog post for each, highlighting the important details and a quick background story.
• No rating scale - just an effort to expand my appreciation.

Album # 464

Album Title: Hysteria
Artist: Def Leppard
Released: August, 1987
My age at release: 22
How familiar am I with it: Very Familiar
Song I am putting on my Spotify Mix: Pour Some Sugar on Me - selected by my friend Steve (Lumpy)
Great Lyric: (It's not that kind of record)

When I was in high school, about 1984, I was dating a girl named Maria. That summer her cousins from New Jersey visited. The oldest was a 12 year-old. He was a short, squat kid built like a fire hydrant with an alarmingly deep voice. He sounded like a grandfather with a two-pack-a-day habit and I found this gravelly voice, coupled with a thick New Jersey accent, fascinating. Consequently, I eagerly engaged him in conversation.

At one point, at a backyard BBQ, he ambled up to me and aggressively queried ...
"You like The Flippah?"
Confused, I sought clarification. "The Flipper?" I asked.
"No...Tha Flippah, Thufflippa" he repeated with angry, old man consternation. "The band...Thugh Flippa"
Then it struck me... "Are you saying Def Leppard", I guessed.
"Yea", he said excitedly, "Duh Flippah...you like them?"

As you might imagine, I have now adopted that inflection whenever the band's name comes up. Just last year I was excited to learn that Tha Flippah was to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and last month Tha Flippah performed in my town.

To answer that young man's question more completely, I liked Def Leppard a lot in high school. Their album Pyromania was blasted in the cafeteria and at countless parties when I was in Grade 11. However, it was an earlier album, High 'n' Dry, that blew me away. I distinctly remember getting a ride home from a party with my pal Terry (still a close friend today.) He had a blue AMC Gremlin with an incredible sound system and he cranked the instrumental Switch 625 as we weaved through subdivision streets. 

A picture of the actual car (Thanks Terry)

I still fire up that song when I need some headphone-infused-cardio-inspiration on the elliptical at the gym.

This album exploded on the music scene in the late summer of 1987. In a recent post about Bruce Springsteen's Tunnel of Love record (released October, 1987) I mentioned getting a job delivering pizza. This album was the soundtrack to many of those delivery trips. 

My friends and I liked it -- but didn't love it. The production was slick and like nothing we had ever heard. We were also fascinated by drummer Rick Allen's ability to play after losing an arm in an automobile accident a few years earlier. It seems that, during his recovery he had developed custom pedals that he could play with his feet to compensate for the missing limb.

After listening to Hysteria again this week -- it hasn't aged well. The production I once called "slick" now seems over-produced and heavy-handed. There is certainly a feeling of nostalgia listening to a few of the songs but I'd rather go back to that High 'n' Dry record -- when they still had a straight-up, less-produced 70s rock sound.

The 500 - #465 - The Magnetic Fields - 69 Love Songs

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

My plan (amended). 

• 1 or 2 records per week & at least 2 complete listens.
• A quick blog post for each, highlighting the important details and a quick background story.
• No rating scale - just an effort to expand my appreciation.

Album # 465

Album Title: 69 Love Songs
Artist: The Magnetic Fields
Released: September, 1999
My age at release: 34
How familiar am I with it: I knew one song
Song I am putting on my Spotify Mix: A Chicken with its Head Cut Off
Great Lyric:
I could listen to all my friends and go out again
And pretend it's enough or I could make a career of being blue
I could dress in black and read Camus
Smoke clove, cigarettes and drink Vermouth
Like I was 17, that would be a scream but, I don't want to get over you
(I Don't Want to Get Over You)

In my last post, I acknowledged that multiple listens to Coldplay's 2002 effort A Rush of Blood to the Head failed to alter my opinion of it. It was just...okay. This week, I am happy to report that 69 Love Songs grew on me with each listen.

This 1999 record was conceived by The Magnetic Fields' front-man Stephin Merrit while listening to a pianist play Stephen Sondheim songs in a Manhattan bar. Originally, he intended to write 100 love songs but settled on 69 - three volumes of 23 released on a triple CD set. I have to admire his ambition. After all, I have committed to 465 more blog posts about The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Merrit is clear in his purpose - these are not love songs. They are songs about love songs written from different points of view and covering multiple genres. There are country, synth-pop, free jazz, ballads and even banjo & ukulele novelty tunes. These are love songs about the madness of new romance...the monotony of monogamy...the joy of life-long commitment...the torment of unfaithfulness and the pain of loss. A love song by a girl to a girl from a male's perspective or another song about an unfaithful partner who is represented metaphorically as a dog whose leash is too long.

The only song I knew was The Book of Love, which I first heard on Peter Gabriel's 2010 release Scratch My Back. We were fortunate to be able to see him perform it live in May of 2010 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. It is one of my favourite concert memories of the past decade. It was my first time using StubHub and I spent a little extra to secure first row tickets on the first balcony - an absolutely perfect position from which to see one of my favourite performers with a full orchestra.

Then, in 2015, the same song was re-purposed with comedic brilliance in an episode of South Park called Tweek x Craig. Consequently, whenever I hear it I feel a full swath of emotions. It is an beautiful version that immediately pulls on my heartstrings and makes me want to find and hold my wife. However, it also makes me want to laugh.

There are so many wonderful bits of poetry scattered throughout this record. It was difficult to choose a favourite. I encourage you to give Volume 1 a listen with headphones on and the printed lyrics available. If you like that - continue the journey.

The 500 - #466 - Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

My plan (amended). 

• 1 or 2 records per week & at least 2 complete listens.
• A quick blog post for each, highlighting the important details and a quick background story.
• No rating scale - just an effort to expand my appreciation.

Album # 466

Album Title: A Rush of Blood to the Head
Artist: Coldplay
Released: August 2002
My age at release: 37
How familiar am I with it: A couple of songs
Song I am putting on my Spotify Mix:  The Scientist 
Great Lyric:
Nobody said it was easy
It's such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be this hard
Oh take me back to the start (The Scientist)

In the village of Port Burwell, where we have our cottage, there is an ice cream parlour called Simply Scoops. They pride themselves on offering a dizzying number of flavours..."Too Many 2 Choose" is their slogan.

I'll admit, I have a tough time choosing but, I do know this...I never pick vanilla. 

Now, there is nothing wrong with a good vanilla ice cream - it is delicious and it goes well with fruit, chocolate or caramel sauces. But, when provided with a wide selection of tastes ... it's never going to be my first, fifth or even tenth choice. 

This is exactly how I feel about Coldplay.

Coldplay is the vanilla ice cream of my music world. 

• I don't dislike it - in fact it can be quite good.
• If it's playing, I am content to listen.
• It blends well in most environments.
• But, I wouldn't choose to listen to it most of the time.

Last weekend, I was stuck inside with a case of shingles, so I listened to A Rush of Blood to the Head four or five times. For the first time, since embarking on this journey through the The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, my attitude did not change. It was fine, even good at times. I was content to listen but, the music never got better or worse. It remained, vanilla ice cream.

In 2009, I went to see Coldplay at Roger's Centre (formerly The Skydome) in Toronto. Given what I just said, that probably seems surprising, but it was because I really wanted to see the opening band Elbow. They are a brilliant act from Manchester, England and the only way to see them that summer was to buy a Coldplay ticket. 

In other words, I liked them so much that I was willing to pay a lot of money to drive 200 km to see a short performance. It was definitely my flavour.

On a beautiful, bright and sunny afternoon in late July, we (my pals Steve, Bill, Brent and I) set out. I was behind the wheel for the two and a half hour journey.

About 30 minutes east of London, the tire blew. There was no reason for panic - - at first. A quick phone call to CAA (the Canadian Automobile Association) and a tow truck was quickly dispatched. Nevertheless, what followed was a series of frustratingly unexpected complications that devoured any extra time we had allowed.

Regardless, we journeyed on...battling the rush hour traffic that we had hoped to avoid. I dropped my friends off and searched for parking. I paid top-dollar to park in the nearby underground garage, not realizing that I would have to go several storeys beneath the city to find a vacant spot. I locked the door and the sprint began...

• across the enclosed parking lot...
• up three flights of stairs...
• through the many Torontonians, concert goers and tourists outside the building...
• to my gate...
• up three or four long ramps inside the facility...
• to the hallway that circles the exterior of the seating area...
• and breached the curtained doorway to witness...

...the band Elbow gathered at the front of the stage just as lead singer Guy Garvey announced: "Thank you Toronto, good night" and the house lights were illuminated.

I plonked beside my friends with a dejected sigh. With perfect comedic timing, one said ... "You just missed them, they were really good". That's the thing I love about my good friends ... they'll kick you when you're down - just to remind you that they love you.

We stayed for the Coldplay show and it was actually terrific. They are a tight, talented band with great stage presence. They performed on multiple stages, had a great light show and I was surprised to realize how many songs I actually knew. I would see Elbow a few years later as a headliner in a much more intimate venue. 

At the very least, Coldplay provided me with a great show and what is now a funny memory of a frantic night with great friends. Vanilla ice cream is absolutely fine, after all.

Shingles - (A story in 3 Parts)

This is Part Three of my "I'm stuck inside with the Shingles" series. Part One can be found here and Part Two is here.

Driving back from the Bruce Peninsula, I had convinced myself that I had a shellfish allergy and that it would only get worse with time. I quietly resigned myself to a life without oysters, clams, shrimp, mussels, lobster and, my personal favourite, Alaskan crab. 

The next day, the rash was worse...much worse. I made a trip to the Urgent Care clinic at the hospital near my home and was quickly diagnosed.

• The good news...shellfish are staying on the table
• The bad news...I had shingles.

It isn't as painful as I have heard it can be for many. I have described the feeling as a mild, localized sunburn. I am on medication (1000 mg of Valacyclovir - 3 times a day). The biggest downside is that I am stuck inside while beautiful summer weather taunts me through the windows. I can't use sun blocking chemicals on my skin & I don't trust my T-shirts to be dependable sun protection. 

So, I'm watching movies, playing video games and making up for an absence of physical activity by writing blogs and preparing for school in September. I figured I would burn up some boredom by sharing a few recollections that frame this experience - hence the previous two blogs.

As you might imagine, I have learned a lot about shingles in the past few days. 

• It is the chicken pox virus. When you get the pox (which I had as a kid) the virus just lies dormant amid your nerves.
• It is usually triggered when your immune system is compromised ... but sometimes, as in my case, for no discernible reason.
• It travels along your nerves and is always localized to one side of your body (for me the right of my torso).
• It can affect your neck and face ... which is reason for concern because scaring or damage to the eyes and ears is possible. (Whew!)
• It begins as redness, becomes an angry rash with a raised texture and then pustules form. (This is the stage I am in)
• The pustules will eventually burst and leave behind itchy scabs that you should not scratch. (I am not looking forward to this!)

There is a vaccine, Shingrix, which is recommended for adults over 50. However, it is only free if you are over 65 in Ontario. Although, I suspect I have coverage through my health benefits. If you live in Ontario, here is all the information you'll need. 

Breakout in Boston (A story in 3 parts)

This is Part Two of my "I'm stuck inside with the Shingles" series. Part One can be found here.

In 2010 when my wife and I vacationed in Boston, we gorged on seafood at every opportunity: Lobster, Oysters, Shrimp and, of course, New England Clam Chowder!

I had purchased a new Under Armour T-shirt at an outlet mall on the way through Massachusetts. It was a hot, August day and my back began to feel a little itchy - particularly under my backpack. I dismissed it. It was probably just the fabric (likely still covered in factory chemicals), the heat of the day and the friction of my backpack.

Found a picture - Boston, Under Armour, Clam Chowder

When we got back to the hotel room, I lifted my shirt and innocently asked my wife, "does my back look red?" 

I can't remember exactly what she said, but it was obvious from her reaction that there was a problem. I went to the bathroom mirror to look. My entire upper torso back & chest were covered in small, red lumps. It was like I was forming a suit of red, blister armour. 

Trying to be optimistic I said, "Maybe I'm getting super powers...should I use them for good or evil?"

It must be the seafood. Other members of my family have a shellfish allergy - maybe I'm suceptible too. We debated a trip to a hospital but, with the exception of a mild burning sensation, I was fine. We had purchased traveller's insurance but you instictively know that you are just inviting red tape and paperwork. Plus, we were about to head to Fenway Park to see a Red Sox game.


The next day we travelled to Salem and learned about the witch trials. I also snapped this picture of one of the original houses and noticed later that the light makes it look like there is a ghost in the bottom right window.

We returned to London and, over two or three days, it disappeared. I did go in for an allergy test and the doctor concluded that I had a mild response to shellfish and dust - but nothing that should have caused a massive reaction. I was taking antibiotics when in Boston so he suggested that this may have compromised my immune system and made me more susceptible.

So, as I hiked along the Bruce Trail last Tuesday, I began to reflect on the pain I was feeling on my back and side.

• It couldn't be a sunburn, poison ivy or an injury.
• Our friends are pescatarians...so we had devoured a lot of seafood - including shellfish.
• I must be having that reaction again.

It must have felt like deja vu for my wife when I lifted my shirt and asked her to look. It wasn't as bad but, there was certainly a red rash forming. This time, there were no antibiotics involved. Perhaps I was allergic to shellfish. That was a depressing prospect.

I'm not...that story in Part 3

Seven Story Archetypes & Shingles (A story in 3 Parts)

This week, while visiting friends at their lakeside, cottage retreat in Red Bay, Ontario we decided to go for a hike. We visited The Corran Ruins and Spirit Rock Trail just outside Wiarton. It's a great spot and the Legend of Spirit Rock is a story that I will certainly share with my students.

Historians detail many variations of this tragic tale, often called the Winona Legend. This version I like best involves a enemy warrior being captured by a tribe residing along the cliffs that surround a great bay. While the chief deliberates a potential ransom, his daughter falls in love with the handsome brave. Learning of this forbidden liaison, the chief, in a fit of rage, has him thrown from the highest cliff. That night, while her father laments his hasty decision, she escapes to the and hurls herself from the same rocky outcrop so that she can join her lover in the afterlife. The legend goes that, "on stormy nights, when lightning flashes in the sky, two silhouetted figures can be seen embracing on the ledge.

I'm always fascinated by story archetypes that flourish across time, space and through the lenses of multiple cultures. In his book, Why We Tell Stories author Christopher Booker identifies seven basic plots.

• Overcoming the Monster 
• Rags to Riches 
• The Quest 
• Voyage and Return
• Comedy
• Tragedy
• Rebirth

Within each, are a myriad variations and some... The Lord of the Rings for example contains elements of all of them. The version of the Spirit Rock story I shared is the star-crossed lovers variation which has been told countless times. 

• Romeo & Juliet
• West Side Story
• Casablanca
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer
• Titanic
• Brokeback Mountain

As we hiked the trails, which included an antique spiral staircase down the side of a cliff face, I began to notice that my back and side felt sore. It was as if I had a sunburn that was isolated to a swath of my upper torso. I quietly began to do a little self-diagnosis as we walked.

• I had worn a T-shirt most of the time, and sunblock when I didn't.
• I did not brush by any poison ivy ...also, T-shirt!
• I hadn't had a clumsy accident with my back as the victim

Then, I reflected back to a trip to Boston I took in 2010 and a frightening allergic reaction I experienced. 

That story, in Part Two. 

The 500 - #467 - Bruce Springsteen - Tunnel of Love

 I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

---

Album # 467

Album Title: Tunnel of Love
Artist: Bruce Springsteen
Released: October 1987
My age at release: 22
How familiar am I with it: Somewhat
Song I am putting on my Spotify Mix: Brilliant Disguise selected by friend Jeff.
Great Lyric: 
"God have mercy on the man
Who doubts what he is sure of."

I was surprised to see this album appear on this list -- particularly when other albums from Springsteen were critically, and commercially, more successful. Then, I checked to see that, unsurprisingly, "The Boss" has eight records on the 500.

Here's a problem I knew I would have to face. I don't have eight Bruce Springsteen related stories to write about. However, I'm pushing forward. After all, I've experienced success when writing about other albums on the list that were outside my experience. 

So, let's dig into this one.

Tunnel of Love was released three years after Springsteen's most successful record, Born in the USA which... 

• sold 30 million units worldwide
• was certified platinum 15 times in the U.S.
• had seven top ten hit singles
• spawned a 156 date tour that lasted 16 months 

Consequently, Tunnel of Love has to be viewed in a different context. It is a stark departure from the high-energy, arena-rock style for which Springsteen was known throughout the 70s and early 80s. Bruce recorded most of the album by himself, without the E Street Band. Instead, he opted for drum machines and pre-programmed synthesizers. The result is a hollow, impersonal emptiness to many of the tracks -- certainly a precursor to the sound and themes of The Streets of Philadelphia which would earn him a Grammy & Oscar six years later.

To appreciate the journey I experienced during my deep-dive this week... I need to set the stage.

In 1987, I was in second year at the University of Western Ontario, but only attending part-time. I had made the mistake of becoming accustomed to having money. Many post-secondary students learn to tighten their purse strings and remain unemployed to focus on their studies. I chose to work several jobs and sacrifice a quicker sprint to my eventual degree.

I was well established with our city's Public Utility Commission (now Parks & Recreation), and had spent the summer as a lifeguard and swim instructor at a local pool. I also worked as a custodian/building attendant for two community centse. When fall arrived, the community centre gigs remained, while the life-guarding job transitioned to weekends at a hockey arena -- pegging nets, mopping sweaty dressing rooms and shoveling snow...so much snow. Sometimes, they let me drive the ice-resurfacer between games. It's much harder than you might think and a good "flood" is an art.

Driving home from school in mid-October (about the time this album was released), I saw a street sign reading - Pizza Delivery Driver Wanted - outside a popular restaurant called Fluffy's - a place I have mentioned in past posts. I made a decision that was, perhaps, ill-advised. I pulled in and secured my fourth part-time job. In retrospect, it might have been wiser for me to work a single job (or perhaps two) and attend university full-time for three more years. Instead, I worked 50+ hours a week for the next five years as I slowly got my first degree...a few painful credits at a time. 

This album held little interest for me at the time. I didn't dislike it -- the singles Tunnel of Love and One Step Up got plenty of play in my car, often when I was delivering pizzas and listening to the radio. I just wasn't a huge fan. 

Looking back, I realize that it wasn't written for a twenty-two-year old Canadian university student. This album was forged in a different fire -- one that I wouldn't fully appreciate until the multiple listens I gave it this week while exploring its complex history.

Tunnel of Love (the record or the song) ruminates on a disquieting journey through the perils of relationships. Thirty-seven-year old Springsteen was, at the time of this record's creation, married to actress Julianne Phillips -- 10 years his junior. She is probably best known as the romantic lead in the Chevy Chase film Fletch Lives. It is clear, the relationship between Springsteen and Phillips was coming undone. She filed for divorce shortly after the record was released and much can be gleaned from the lyrics. 

Consider this passage from One Step Up ...

It's the same thing night on night,
Who's wrong baby, who's right.
Another fight and I slam the door on
Another battle in our dirty little war.
When I look at myself I don't see
The man I wanted to be.
Somewhere along the line I  slipped off track.
I'm caught movin' one step up, and two steps back.

In the next verse, the speaker in Springsteen's story is unfaithful while at a bar. Most interestingly, the back-up singer on this track is Patty Scialfa, whom Bruce would marry a few years later. In a 1995 interview, when asked about these relationships, Springsteen said:

"It's a strange society that assumes it has the right to tell people whom they should love and whom they shouldn't. But the truth is, I basically ignored the entire thing as much as I could. I said, 'Well, all I know is, this feels real, and maybe I have got a mess going here in some fashion, but that's life."

This realization brought me full circle. This is a tremendously personal record, written by a man on the verge of 40 who was watching his marriage disintegrate and recorded in his home studio where they both lived. Its simple, sometimes empty sound, echoes a personal reckoning. This is not a record that a happy, healthy, busy young student in a great relationship was going to understand. 

Me, 1988-ish, at Fluffy's - you can just make out
the neonin the back.

However, like many great works of art, it waited patiently ... until I was old enough to appreciate it more fully ... 32 years later.