Bruce Springsteen quotes ‘The Wish’ in moving tribute to mother Adele, who died at 98
Singer Bruce Springsteen found the words to mourn his late mother Adele Springsteen in his song, “The Wish.”
“I remember in the morning mom hearing your alarm clock ring,” the “Dancing In The Dark” hitmaker began his Thursday Instagram tribute. Springsteen shared a video of himself and his mother dancing to Glenn Miller’s “In the Mood” and listed the dates of her birth and death in the caption.
Adele died on Wednesday. She was 98. The Instagram post did not reveal additional information, including a cause of death. Before her death, she struggled with Alzheimer’s disease and could no longer speak or stand, Bruce said in 2021.
A representative for The Boss did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for more details.
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“The Wish,” released in 1988, was a love letter to his mother, who was born May 4, 1925. The nostalgic tune evoked imagery of Springsteen’s childhood, his mother’s cheery personality and their close mother-son bond that persisted amid his rise to fame.
“It ain’t no phone call on Sunday, flowers or a Mother’s Day card. It ain’t no house on the hill with a garden and a nice little yard,” Springsteen recited his lyrics in his Instagram caption. “I’ve got my hot rod down on Bond Street. I’m older but you’ll know me in a glance. We’ll find us a Little rock ‘n roll bar and we’ll go out and dance.”
In addition to “The Wish,” Adele also inspired her son’s “American Land,” which makes mention of her maiden name, Zerilli.
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Adele was a rock for the Springsteen family, and she became a favorite of her son’s fans as she appeared during performances, often dancing. Among her appearances were cameos in 2021 at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, and in 2016 when she danced with her son at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
Adele, a New York native who moved to Freehold, N.J., is survived by her son, and daughters Virginia Shave and Pamela Springsteen. She shares her children with husband Douglas Frederick Springsteen, who died in 1998.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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