I think this, like much of Springsteen's early and overly wordy writing, is less about a specific meaning and a story behind the song as it is about a strong series of visual images used to convey a particular feeling when those images hit you. And it works well, you can see each stanza as it's own image, but the feeling of all three is the same and hits you in the same way. It's a brilliant song, and this is a particularly fine cover that The Format do especially well.
I think this, like much of Springsteen's early and overly wordy writing, is less about a specific meaning and a story behind the song as it is about a strong series of visual images used to convey a particular feeling when those images hit you. And it works well, you can see each stanza as it's own image, but the feeling of all three is the same and hits you in the same way. It's a brilliant song, and this is a particularly fine cover that The Format do especially well.