posted 04-12-2000 08:08 PM PT (US) 
what is your opinion of this song? to me, it's surprising that it's included in the standard encores, the other 5 seem more logical to me. any ideas?
posted 04-12-2000 09:18 PM PT (US)
Well I wouldn't care if Bruce came out and sang Kum By Ya(or however you spell it). I am greatful that he does come out for encores. I think we all have our favorites that we would like him to play. We aren't always going to get our ideal setlist. I agree that he could probably play some other songs. But, we get wghat we get.
Ramrod is a good crowd getter. It gets everybody pumped up! I like it.
BBBBBBBRRRUUUCEEEEEEEEEE!
posted 04-12-2000 09:36 PM PT (US)
Ramrod is a short upbeat little tune that gets everyone to still dance when there's no dancing left in you ! I like it.
posted 04-12-2000 09:50 PM PT (US)
I think that maybe there's just some songs he likes to play. I'm a performer also and there some silly songs that don't really fit in my set, but I play them because I enjoy them and I want to. Kudos to Bruce for not making his job too much like work. (By the way, this is my first post on the new board, I hope it works)
posted 04-12-2000 10:19 PM PT (US)
The song seems to have shed its throwaway status on this tour, and works very well in the encores.
Can anyone tell me what that song is about? I first heard it when I was 14 or so, and the first thing my mind thought of at the time had something to do with the crude symbolic potentials of a ramrod (a long thin metal thing that you put inside the barrel of a gun to clean it out). But since then, I have not really been able to come up with a better explanation... Can anyone offer any other explanations, or is the song as simple as this after all? I think Bruce said once ina n interview that in one way, it was the saddest song on the River or something.
posted 04-12-2000 11:02 PM PT (US)
Hey Magnus,
I think it's about sex. At the 11-9 Milwaukee show, he said "Let's get dirty" right before playing it. Put that together with your definition of a ramrod and you got some down right and dirty sex. Cool.
posted 04-13-2000 12:10 AM PT (US)
I'm not really crazy about "Ramrod" and I wonder why Bruce plays it almost every night. I'm also not too crazy about "Light Of Day", but I hate to complain at all about Bruce's show considering how awesome they are compared to any other performer.
posted 04-13-2000 12:27 AM PT (US)
I didn't mean to complain about ramrod, i actually kind of enjoy it. but it seems that the ohter 5 standards have a theme to them. thunder road/born to run being the classics/favorites and bobby jean, if i should fall behind, LOHAD all have similar themes - appropriate for this tour, i think. i wonder if ramrod is one of bruce's favorites. on a different note, what do you guys think bruce's favorites are? on asbury nights, he mentions that racing in the street "has always been one of my favorites"
posted 05-12-2000 03:45 PM PT (US)
Bruce has said "Ramrod" is one his favorite songs to play.
I think the song's meaning is freedom and sexuality combined.... I think Ramrodding is driving around with your arm out the window, stereo cranked, and foot to the floor!
As for themes, I'd jump in and agree with what Sid had to say about themes, but I think Ramrod's theme falls perfectly at the end of the show!
BTR and Thunder Road are the classics, Bobby Jean/IISFB/LOHAD are the togetherness/community/buddy songs, and then Ramrod ends the show with the "classic ROCKER BLASTIN' THE RAFTERS OFF THE BUILDING" theme! And the famous Bruce theme, "I've got more stamina than you and I can keep rocking when you're ready to quit!"
I like the "make you dance when you can't dance no more!" quote from Lisabrucefan! In Charlotte, by the end of Ramrod, after the famous somersault, I felt like I was going to be sick!
Thanks for the post -- I know what I'm going to listen to on the way home from work!
"Give me the word now, Sugar, we'll go Ramrodding forever more!"
posted 05-12-2000 04:17 PM PT (US)
After listening to Ramrod six times on the way home from work, I've been reminded that the actual literal definition of "Ramrod" is the name of Bruce's car in the song! So in addition to all those other definitions so far, "Ramrodding" is riding around in "Ramrod!"
posted 05-12-2000 04:31 PM PT (US)
I love Ramrod. Could care less what it actually means. I think you guys were on it when you spoke of the freedom thing. Just getting wild & crazy with your "foot to the floor."
I do know Max likes to play it. Got a video of a 1980 show where Bruce really is getting into this song(on top of the piano, also doing a little "guitar hump"(for lack of a better description) at the end). Just cutting loose.
I do wish, though that Bruce would end with some kind of medley-Detroit medley, Twist & Shout/Do you love me?, etc. I kinda miss them.
posted 05-12-2000 05:04 PM PT (US)
Hi there Fred, are ya getting psyched for your shows?? Ramrod's a great closer, I was a little surprised to hear it played as the 1st encore opener Sun nite. The band rollicks and gets the crowd going, the way they falsely end it, I love that. You must know that 'Roulette' was song #99 for this tour. I'm with you on Detroit medley in the encore, that would be Bruce the way we love Bruuuuuuce! How about for #100?
posted 05-12-2000 05:13 PM PT (US)
"I wanna ramrod with ya honey" Um, yeah, it's about sex. :)
Sherry "hoo boy" Darlin'
posted 05-12-2000 06:27 PM PT (US)
Ramrod was never one of my favorites, but the version of this song I saw him do in Toronto was so powerful, so impressive, so relentless, it has quickly moved up as one of my favorites. When I listen to it on The River, I hope for a new live album to really capture the sheer energy of this song live.
posted 05-16-2000 10:03 AM PT (US)
Always a personal favorite of mine. I think that when Bruce kicks into the "Well I said come on, come on, come on..." line, it's perhaps the most fun moment in any Bruce song. I saw all 3 shows in D.C. I believe that when they played it on Night 1 it was the first time this tour. It worked so well that they closed the encores with it on Night 3 - an awesome moment.
posted 05-17-2000 11:06 PM PT (US)
Greg -- I was there at the 1st night in DC too; I was shocked and amazed when they ended with it (I was expecting LOHAD to be the last song...) As I've said farther up the post, I think its an awesome song with which to end the show!
One of the things I've always loved about the song is how it breaks up the sadness of Disk 2 (the end of Side 3 and all of Side 4, for those of us who still remember it on vinyl) of The River. After dropping the emotional bottom out of it on Stolen Car, you'd flip the album over, drop the needle, and tear into Ramrod!
posted 05-18-2000 01:00 PM PT (US)
Hi All! I've been lurking, but wanted to add my 2 cents in on this one.
Ramrod has been one of my favorites too (as most of The River album is). I was always disappointed when I would review the set lists and see he played Ramrod on some shows, but not the ones I had seen. UNITL... Hartford on May 8th. When he did his encores and skipped Hungry Heart (yeah! sorry, but I'm so over that one) I thought this was my chance to hear it. Then he did Land of Hope and Dreams and I thought that would be the last one (as past set lists had shown me). Then he stood on the edge of the stage with Clarence, just soaking in the applause. I turned to my sister and said "one more, Ramrod". And the band started up and I got my wish. What a way to end a perfect night. He had about 4 false endings, he ran around the stage and did his somersault! That's why I like Ramrod. What a crowd pleaser.