Same Story, 3 Songs, 3 Charachters

The Boy and The Girl fall in love. The Girl leaves the boy. The Boy is angry, and dreams of the Tirl suffering to ease his pain. An archetypal love story, which found its way into the repertoire of many singer/song-writers. Three of my favorites' approach to the story shows a lot about their character.

First, the Boss. Bruce Springsteen's 1980 album River contains one of his best songs Point Blank. The hero sees his old lover on the streets and she doesn't say hi. The boss writes her a song how she is becoming just another lost soul of the society. He is sad for her, and sings her one the best lines in pop music history describing the sad nature of human condition:

"Do you still say your prayers little darlin' do you go to bed at night
Prayin' that tomorrow, everything will be alright
But tomorrow's fall in number in number one by one
You wake up and you're dying you don't even know what from"

Lou Reed on the other side is certain that Sally is megalomaniac, who thinks the whole world is there for her. He makes fun of her, praises her heart being made of ice:

"Ooohhh, isn’t it nice
When your heart is made out of ice"

Dylan is Dylan. He is angry at the girl, and tells her the naked truth how miserable her future will be. The only thing we know for sure about the girl was there was no girl, and Dylan was singing to himself:

"People'd call, say, "Beware doll, you're bound to fall"
You thought they were all kiddin' you
You used to laugh about
Everybody that was hangin' out
Now you don't talk so loud
Now you don't seem so proud
About having to be scrounging for your next meal."