"Rocky Ground" is a testament to faith and draws a comparison between the flood of Noahs Ark fame and the spiritual flooding of hopelessness. "Forty days and nights of rain have washed this land /Jesus said the money changers in this temple will not stand/ Find your flock, get them to higher ground /Flood waters rising and we're Caanan bound."
Gospel singer Michelle Moore gives the song spirituality and soul with the refrain " We've been walking/ travelling over rocky ground" repeated throughout and surprisingly for a Springsteen song performs a rap that actually works well within the context of the production (drum loops, yes drum loops along with an
archival sound recording) and song writing.
If you are a Springsteen fan don't let the aforementioned rap and drum loops scare you off this one. "Rocky Ground" has been put together extremely well and is beautifully crafted. Obviously if you are fan of Springsteen the religious connotations will be no surprise. Here is the rap ; "You use your muscle and your mind and you pray your best /That your best is good enough, the Lord will do the rest /You raise your children and you teach 'them to walk straight and sure /You pray that hard times, hard times, come no more/ You try to sleep, you toss and turn, the bottom's dropping out /Where you once had faith now there's only doubt /You pray for guidance, only silence now meets your prayers /The morning breaks, you awake but no one's there."
Rocky Ground is the ninth track from the forthcoming album Wrecking Ball and fits into what is now becoming an eclectic mix of styles perfectly, giving the album a well rounded sound that serves up something different each time a track is played without compromising the continuity. I am looking forward to sitting back and listening to the whole album in one sitting. Listen to "Rocky Ground" here.
