Boss Conspiracy Theory

For those of you who wonder, as I have, why Bruce Springsteen hasn't recorded that many tunes that could be classified as love songs over the years, the Boss himself explained last week during an Asbury Park, N.J., warmup show for his new solo tour. Part of the reason, he declared, was that his father "kind of spoiled the whole thing" when he was a kid. Love songs, the elder Springsteen informed his young son, "were a government conspiracy to get you married and force you to pay taxes." (Apparently the marriage penalty wasn't as big a deal back then.) "I don't agree," the younger Springsteen hastened to tell his audience.