This was the first single from Springsteen's album Magic, which was his first with the E Street Band in five years. The song deals with the search for energy and passion in life - what Springsteen refers to as "Soul." It's a common Springsteen theme, especially at his concerts where he implores the crowd to live in the moment. The line, "Is there anybody out there" is something he's said at live shows to get a response from the crowd.
This song references "Mystery Train," a hit for Elvis Presley, who Springsteen looks up to as an artist.
Springsteen (from Rolling Stone magazine, November 1, 2007): "It's an end-of-the-world scenario - he's seeing the apocalypse. All communications are down. That's my business, that's what it's all about - trying to connect to you. It comes down to trying to make people happy, feel less lonely, but also being a conduit for a dialogue about the events of the day, the issues that impact people's lives, personal and social and political and religious. That's how I always saw the job of our band."
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