Who Knew?

We've been talking a lot about the Big Man these days, taking his death very personally.  At least once a day, I sing this: "When the change was made uptown and the Big Man joined the band."  It just comes out.  I miss the Big Man so.  Hubby and I saw him perform with the Boss twice, a point of pride that makes our youngest son crazy-jealous.  "Why didn't you take me?" he's wondered on more than one occasion.  "You weren't born yet," we explain, patiently, but he sees that as a mere technicality.  He is a Springsteen fanatic, up on all kinds of trivia he likes to share with the elderly.  Last night, he told us that when Clemons worked with Robert De Niro, prepping him for his role as a sax player in "New York, New York," De Niro confessed to having heard Springsteen say "you talkin' to me" in concert." As fans roared in approval, Springsteen would say, "Are you talkin' to me?" Then he'd look around the stage and back toward the crowd, repeating the line.  De Niro later used the line for Travis Bickle in "Taxi Driver," but made Clemons promise not to reveal his secret for 25 years. Clemons finally spilled it in his autobiography.  Who knew?  The youngest son.  He's a fount of musical info, a walkin' Wikipedia.  Tonight, he'll be teaching us about some hot British group called the Beatles. 

You talkin' to me?