Bruce Springsteen turned 71 years old on Wednesday. He celebrated by dropping the second single from his new album, "Letter To You," which will be released Oct 23.

"Ghosts" is a full-on rocker with the E Street Band. It's also a "letter to you" from old Bruce to his younger self, telling him how much he loves him and how much his younger self is keeping him alive to this day.

The video is full of clips of the old days of young Bruce with great clips of early performances in Jersey clubs with former bands right up to the giant arenas he's ended up playing. Will we ever see him out playing again? Possibly in a few years. With "Ghosts" you know he's thinking about it.

From the opening:

"I hear the sound of your guitar
Comin' from the mystic far
Stone and the gravel in your voice
Come in my dreams and I rejoice."

Like most of us when we think of ourselves, in our minds we see ourselves as our younger selves, no matter how old we are. I still think of and remember my old friends as much younger, even though I see them constantly to this day.

In "Ghosts," Bruce tells us he's never left that connection to his younger self and is still that "scooter" at heart. He tells his younger self,

"Old buckskin jacket you always wore
Hangs on the back of my bedroom door
Boots and the spurs you used to ride
Click down the hall but never arrive."

The boots and spurs never arrive because they were already there and you can't go back. But you can come to terms with who you were and are and in "Ghosts" Springsteen blends the two together in a peaceful motivational co-existence.

"Your old Fender Twin from Johnny's Music downtown
Still set on 10 to burn this house down
Count the band in then kick into overdrive
By the end of the set we leave no one alive."

That was true for Bruce then as it is now. Everything Springsteen does is on overdrive. It's who he was, is and always shall be.

"Ghosts runnin' through the night
Our spirits filled with light
I need, need you by my side
Your love and I'm alive."

I truly love this song and the idea of Bruce telling his younger self how much he loves him and how much he means to him and how much he needs him.

It makes me look forward not only to the album, but seeing him perform it live as well.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Steve Trevelise. Any opinions expressed are Steve's own. Steve Trevelise is on New Jersey 101.5 Monday-Thursday from 7pm-11pm. Follow him on Twitter @realstevetrev.

More from New Jersey 101.5:

READ MORE: How to sound like you're from New Jersey — Steve Trevelise

 

More From New Jersey 101.5 FM