In this song, Bruce cuts to the core of contemporary American ennui and dissatisfaction that stems from systemic economic and cultural alienation. The darkness exists on two levels. One, at the edges of society, where the law ceases to care and men drift aimlessly. Two, internally. The darkness at the edge of town in this sense is personal as well–at the edges, around the seams of everyone there is a darkness being held at bay by the internal architecture they have built up in their lives. For example, the lifestyle that someone may be trying to maintain. The narrator, to a certain sense, is the brave one here, willing and ready to acknowledge this darkness. However, he succumbs to the temptation to allow it to overtake him–and now he lives there, risking his life regularly by racing.

Where this song really transcends is in the marriage of this sense of aimlessness and darkness with the reality of external forces beyond each individual’s control. The singer “lost his job and lost his wife,” and throughout he is concerned with economic status and opportunity, singing about “some folks are born into a good life.” Instead of participating in this game, he sees it for the sham it is and has embraced his position as a drifter with no prospects, indulging in racing as the only thing that makes him feel alive. This, too, is a great example of a topic that Bruce returns to time and time again–how we substitute one thing for the other thing that we actually want/need. Oftentimes, this means someone who is chasing after a girl they love instead of confronting the existential issues that really haunt them. Here, the singer has embraced the closed system of street racing as a substitute for the open system of moden society and the economy. Here, racing in the darkness at the edge of town, he can be in control–he can win. Out there, back in town, there’s no place for him. He’s lost and will never have another chance at winning. Out here, at the very least, he can achieve a momentary reprieve from being one of the few who recognizes the sad reality inside each of us: that as long as we are dependent on outside systems and other people for our happiness, we will always be right on the edge of losing everything. Is it better to be in control and have it mean nothing, since you have removed yourself from the community, or is it better to suffer while remaining connected, unable to hide behind a veil of ironic detachment or cynical nihilism?