3 Heartland Rock Songs That Captured the Loneliness of Modern America

America—there’s a big country out there. While the nation is known in many ways for its major cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, there is, of course, a lot more to the vast region than just a few bustling metropolises. We can’t forget about the heartland. And here below, we wanted to highlight three heartland songs that didn’t forget about us, either. Indeed, these are three Heartland rock songs that captured the keen loneliness of modern America.

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“The River” by Bruce Springsteen from ‘The River’ (1980)

Seemingly every Bruce Springsteen song was about trying to escape your situation. Inherent in that was a feeling of listlessness and loneliness. The New Jersey-born songwriter was always fighting against something—a cage, fate, his own limitations. And he put all of that into his music. Take, for example, “The River”. The track is about our prescribed lives. We grow up, get married, and get a job. Then it’s over. But in the tune, Springsteen sings about another place to remember—the river. At least we have that little spot to think back to.

“Pink Houses” by John Cougar Mellencamp from ‘Uh-Huh’ (1983)

John Mellencamp is the heartland songwriter. More than anyone else, he has a keen sense of what happens in places like his hometown of Seymour, Indiana. And on “Pink Houses”, Mellencamp shows what he knows. He tells little stories about people going nowhere. They live in their little homes and end up with little to show for it. Meanwhile, they’re told how free they are. Well, it’s a raw deal, Mellencamp tells us. And he’s right.

“Learning To Fly” by Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers from ‘Into The Great Wide Open’ (1991)

Tom Petty has always seemed synonymous with America. It’s as if the artist literally grew out of the Midwest wheat fields and became an icon. But it’s not just his look or his sound that make for his All-American appeal. No, it’s the substance of his songs, too. In “Learning To Fly”, Petty highlights the seemingly pointless task of trying to be more. In a sense, we’re all learning to fly. We can say that if we can also admit that we don’t have wings. It’s like we’re all Sisyphus, trying to get ahead. But the rock we’re pushing uphill always falls back down. That’s life, right?

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