Of all the musical performances I've heard and/or seen, without question Bruce Springsteen's performance of My City Of Ruin on the televised Tribute to Heroes broadcast had the biggest impact on me.
I couldn't comprehend how he could sing that song without breaking down and crying, a mere week after the attacks. I was in awe of his professionalism. And, moreso, I was in awe of the song. At the time, I hadn't realised that it was a song on his upcoming album, and I thought he had written it specifically for the broadcast. Under that belief, I was amazed at how he could have written such a beautifully poetic and powerful song, so close to the event (I thought) it described.
Even knowing that it was written before the attacks, I am no less amazed at how beautiful and poetic it is. It was perfect. It opened the show, and it was a perfect performance. I cried when I heard it on that broadcast, and I still get teary-eyed practically every time I listen to it. No other song even comes close to eliciting that kind of reaction from me.
I know it's corny and ultimately worthless, but:
On this anniversary, my heart goes out to the friends and families of those who lost their lives as a result of those attacks.
It also goes out to the friends and families of those innocent Iraqis, and of the 1000+ soldiers, who've lost their lives as a result of the mis-guided retaliation of those attacks. And to those innocent Iraqis whose lives have been saved as a result of that mis-guided retaliation.
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