Actually stoolhardy it means a lot more than that. The "57 Channels" are merely indicative of the ennui that the character feels. Even though he has it all, he still feels empty and cannot connect with others (including his wife) in a meaningful way. Springsteen uses the television as a metaphor, with it's facade promises and "reality" shows to envince this lack of fufillment and alienation that so many feel. The couple in the song think they can find the answers to their problems by pointing their satellite dish, like a beacon to the gods, "into the stars". But the message that comes back is void of anything genuine. This is what is significant about the Elvis reference. Ostensibly he had everything, but nothing that was emotionally real.
Actually stoolhardy it means a lot more than that. The "57 Channels" are merely indicative of the ennui that the character feels. Even though he has it all, he still feels empty and cannot connect with others (including his wife) in a meaningful way. Springsteen uses the television as a metaphor, with it's facade promises and "reality" shows to envince this lack of fufillment and alienation that so many feel. The couple in the song think they can find the answers to their problems by pointing their satellite dish, like a beacon to the gods, "into the stars". But the message that comes back is void of anything genuine. This is what is significant about the Elvis reference. Ostensibly he had everything, but nothing that was emotionally real.