User:Moisejp/sandbox11

Rock, country, rockabilly
Original: A rock song, "I'm Goin' Down" has been identified by Uncut contributor John Lewis as having a country music influence with some elements reminiscent of Johnny Cash. Other critics have described a rockabilly feel.

Alternate versions: A rock song, "I'm Goin' Down" has been described by different critics as having a rockabilly influence, or a country music influence with some elements reminiscent of Johnny Cash.

A rock song, with hints of rockabilly, "I'm Goin' Down" has also been identified by Uncut contributor John Lewis as having a country music influence with some elements reminiscent of Johnny Cash.

A rock song, "I'm Goin' Down" has been identified by Uncut contributor John Lewis as having a country music influence, and as "sound[ing] in places like Johnny Cash". For other critics, the song contains elements of rockabilly.

Clear Communications
Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the eastern United States, Clear Channel Communications—the owner at the time of over 1000 radio stations in the United States —issued a memorandum of songs to avoid playing, which included "I'm Goin' Down". Program directors at some stations had emailed each other lists of songs, which in the words of two programming vice presidents, were believed to be "too dark or possibly way too upbeat and happy [or have] lyrics that may refer to crashes of some kind or death", or simply have "questionable" titles. The resulting collaborative list was then distributed to all the stations by Clear Channel Communications management, who wanted to be careful to not depress listeners in their grieving time following the attacks. Other songs on the list included Springsteen's "I'm on Fire", as well as ones such as "Burning Down the House" by Talking Heads, "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" by R.E.M., "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen, and "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" by the Smashing Pumpkins.

Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the eastern United States, Clear Channel Communications—the owner at the time of over 1000 radio stations —issued a memorandum of songs to temporarily avoid playing, which included "I'm Goin' Down". The list included songs that were "too dark ... [or] refer to crashes ... or death", or simply have "questionable" titles, which might depress listeners grieving from the attacks.

Lead
"I'm Goin' Down" is a song written and performed by American singer Bruce Springsteen that was released as the sixth single from his 1984 album Born in the U.S.A. on August 27, 1985. Recorded with the E Street Band in May 1982 at the Power Station music studio, the song was co-produced by Springsteen, Jon Landau, Chuck Plotkin, and Steve Van Zandt. The track-listing of Born in the U.S.A. was in flux prior to its release, but "I'm Goin' Down" was ultimately selected for inclusion, beating out "Pink Cadillac" for a spot on the album.

"I'm Goin' Down" features prominent, heavy drums and lyrical themes of sexual frustration and loneliness; these topics contrast with a humorous slant that some critics have observed. The single reached No. 9 in the United States and the top 30 in Sweden, Canada, and Italy. At the time of the album's release, it was praised by critics for the band’s musicianship, the performance's energy, and for Springsteen's vocals and lyrics; later appraisal included favorable rankings of the track in retrospectives of Springsteen's career, among which was a NME list calling it his fourth best song ever. The singer has not performed the composition often since his Born in the U.S.A. Tour; between 2002 and 2017, he played it at about seven percent of his concerts whose set lists his official website has published. Cover versions of "I'm Goin' Down" include renditions by Frank Black and the Catholics, Trampled by Turtles, Free Energy, and Vampire Weekend.

Possible addition
In researcher Pamela Moss's feminist analysis of Springsteen's lyrics, the singer's early 1980s oeuvre, there is a change "in focus from the optimistic search for a promised land [from his mid-to-late 1970s work] to a dark, melancholy interpretation of the dashed dreams of youth". Within this context, "women are now sex partners instead of sex objects [and] women are impediments to, rather than facilitators of a successful quest to the promised land". "Men blame women for their dashed dreams and explicitly address class struggle while they continue to oppress women.... For men, who were the orchestrators of the pilgrimage, the disillusionment wrought from failed relationships contributes to their dashed dreams. 'I'm Goin' Down' illustrates the deterioration of a desirable sexual relationship. The man feels he is being 'set up' by the woman just so she will be able to reject him. In a sexual sense, the man failed; in a class sense, the woman acted as an obstacle in his quest for the liberation of the tedium of a working class existence."

In researcher Pamela Moss's feminist analysis of social class and gender Springsteen's lyrics, the singer's early 1980s oeuvre is said to be filled with despair. Moss states that within this context, men fault women for not helping them achieve their dream of finding "a promised land". In 'I'm Goin' Down', with the "deterioration of a desirable sexual relationship [the narrator] feels he is being 'set up' by the woman just so she will be able to reject him". According to Moss, the man sees the woman's rejection as an interference holding back his attempt at a "liberation of the tedium of a working class existence."

WHERE IS THE 'PROMISED LAND'?: CLASS AND GENDER IN BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN'S ROCK LYRICS by Pamela Moss Moss, P., 1992: Where is the 'Promised Land'?: class and gender in Bruce Springsteen's rock lyrics. Geogr. Ann. 74 B (3): 167-187.

Misc actions remaining

 * Include Vulture #64 ranking? [] tentatively not including because the ranking is by Caryn Rose, who also gives strong praise a bit further down in the Legacy section
 * Jake Clemons on saxophone from 2012 [] [] [] [] [] [] probably won't develop this point
 * Graf: use? Mention claim of Aug 31 release date? The Gavin Report from Aug. 30 already mentions very preliminary chart performance info; Graf's claim the single was released Aug. 31 seems very most likely a mistake
 * alt text?
 * Add photo to Covers section?
 * Be consistent with use of search terms for Newspaper.com.
 * Add Internet Archive links where available?
 * Consistency of no archive version for google books.
 * Update lead with latest info.
 * Fix January 3 statement.
 * Add 7% figure to Live performances section and lead.
 * Expand B-side descriptions.
 * Add background to Reduced airplay section.
 * Re-read Himes, Marsh, Heylin for any more recording background tidbits.
 * Double-check every statement against sources.
 * Alternate take: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7gDM_F1Vr8

Add live stats from archived versions of Brucespringsteen.net.
 * The Rising Tour 2002–2003:
 * 2002: https://web.archive.org/web/20081114204056/http://www.brucespringsteen.net/live/risingtoursetlists.html#20020807
 * 0 of 45 published set lists (Aug:12 + Sep:6 + 0ct:10 + Nov:9 + Dec:8)
 * 2003:
 * August 11, 2003 - Philadelphia, PA - Lincoln Financial Field
 * September 18, 2003 - Hartford, CT - Rentschler Field
 * September 21, 2003 - Detroit, MI - Comerica Park
 * 3 of 75 published set lists (Feb:1 + Mar:11 + Apr:6 + May:13 + Jun:11 + Jul:7 + Aug:12 + Sep:11 + Oct:3)


 * Devils & Dust Tour 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20081115074740/http://www.brucespringsteen.net/live/2005setlists.html#20051122
 * 0 of 72 published set lists (Apr:3 + May:15 + Jun:15 + Jul:10 + Aug:7 + Sep:0 + Oct:12 + Nov:10)


 * Bruce Springsteen with the Seeger Sessions Band Tour 2006 https://web.archive.org/web/20081115074801/http://www.brucespringsteen.net/live/2006europesetlists.html#20061001
 * 0 of 27 published set lists (Oct:17 + Nov:10)


 * Magic Tour 2007–2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20081115022801/http://www.brucespringsteen.net/live/2007setlists.html#20070924
 * 0 of 40 published set lists (Sep:3 + Oct:15 + Nov:12 + Dec:10)


 * https://web.archive.org/web/20081114204114/http://www.brucespringsteen.net/live/2008setlists.html#20080830
 * July 20, 2008 - Barcelona, Spain - Camp Nou
 * August 2, 2008 - Foxborough, Massachusetts - Gilette Stadium
 * August 21, 2008 - Nashville, Tennessee - Sommet Center
 * 3 of 64 published set lists (Feb:1 + Mar:14 + Apr:12 + May:8 + Jun:8 + Jul:12 + Aug:9)

Possible flow
 * Description of music, including its energy, and its instrumental components and genres.
 * Some critics have commented on the commented on the contrast between the sad lyrics and the upbeat music.
 * "downright bouncy for a break-up song" - 2002-07-29 []


 * theme of loneliness, etc.
 * "a haunted Springsteen, frustrated by the rejection slips he's receiving from the girl sitting next to him on the front seat of his car" - 1984-06-10 - []
 * "down-and-outers brought down by lost love" - 1984-06-10 - []
 * "loneliness of a frustrated lover" - 1984-06-15 - []
 * "the slow, almost unconscious loss of love by one partner for the other over the course of a long and drawn out relationship. Here, the guy still has the love, but the girl just doesn't feel the same" - 1984-06-22 - []
 * "the heartbreak associated with attempted or failed romance" - 1984-06-22 - []
 * "crushing costs of attempted or failed romance" - 1984-07-12 - []
 * "romance gone cold" - 1984-07-14 - []
 * "the dissolution of a love affair, phrased in startlingly simple but poetic commonplaces" - 1984-09-13 - []


 * humor in the lyrics.
 * "masks the same kind of need behind a comic situation" - 1984-06-10 - []
 * 1984-07-14 https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/born-in-the-u-s-a-97901/


 * Springsteen's humorous introductions to the song in concert.
 * 2014-01-06 - []

Bits Other reviewers have heard humor in the lyrics. Writer Geoffrey Himes that in concert in the mid-1980s Springsteen himself ... also Carlin, also Heylin. Also "at one of its rare concert appearances, he jokingly called it 'one of my more insightful songs about men and women' " (light-heartedly/facetiously described it as one of his most penetrating/astute/perceptive compositions about women and men / the sexes)

The music of "I'm Goin' Down" has been described as or compared to rockabilly, and to the country & western style sound of Johnny Cash.

Guesdon
 * Its rock sound starts off with a strong introduction, giving prominence to the guitars (notably two string guitar phrases). This is followed by a strong rhythm section led by Max Weinberg and Gary Talient, who are both on top form. The snare drum bears the "Clearmountain" signature because of the way it cracks like a whip. He has clearly achieved a great mixing feat by creating an atmosphere typical of the times. At the keyboards, Danny Federici performs an excellent part on the Hammond B-3, the Leslie performing beautifully, and Roy Bittan accompanies his band mates with an equally astonishing piano. Clarence Clemons launches into a superb tenor saxophone solo, carried by a generous and space-like delay. The Boss and Miami Steve are on guitars, proving, if there ever was a need to, that both are excellent guitarists and too often underrated.

"rockabilly"
 * (page 18-F)
 * (page 15)

"bouncy"
 * (page B5)
 * Rose 2014

Music, themes, lyrics

 * Some sources highlight contrast of upbeat sound vs. downbeat lyrics?
 * "even when the message is downbeat ... the band plays with the passion of the early rockabilly artists."
 * "downright bouncy for a break-up song"
 * "deceptively sad tale of faded love despite the bouncing rhythm."

Music, sound, feel

 * "the Clemons sax also scores strongly"
 * "an irresistible refrain boosted by handclaps over the drumbeat, keyboards and guitars."
 * "raucous bar-band fun"
 * "clapping in the background"
 * "fleshed out rockabilly"
 * "the band plays with the passion of the early rockabilly artists"
 * "Max Weinberg's drumming propels the latter"
 * "A great dancer himself, Springsteen puts an infectious beat under his songs. In the wonderfully exuberant “I’m Goin’ Down,” "
 * "drummer Max Weinberg whams out a huge backbeat"
 * "downright bouncy"
 * "one of his catchiest songs... fun, straightforward rocker"
 * prime exemplar of the kind of good-time party song that Springsteen and E Street do best, sliding easily through the verses with a deceptively sad tale of faded love despite the bouncing rhythm."
 * "another golden Clarence Clemons sax solo right in the middle, and a fun, jumping end."
 * "It's another song that's still a crowd pleaser around the globe, and with good reason."
 * "I'm on Fire" and "other nod to C&W is 'I'm Goin' Down', which sounds in places like Johnny Cash. Both paved the way for the more explicit country flavours of Tunnel of Love."
 * (Sandy Robertson) "'Down Down Down', a hit single if ever I heard one: modern rock riff guitar, amazing drum sound...the title is the hook and the master is in complete control of his vocal abilities. This is the core that justifies most of the hype dumped on BS by his admirers... The album, when it lands in your shops, my sources tell me, should have a twelfth cut in addition to the ones on this sneaky advance schmexclusive tape I have. It's called 'No Surrender' (probably!)"

Themes, lyrics

 * "The phrase 'I'm going down, down, down, down' is repeated over and over in the chorus while he reminisces about the beginning of a relationship in which 'my kisses used to turn you inside out... but lately you get your kicks just by driving me down' "
 * "tail of spurned love"
 * "uncovers a haunted Springsteen, frustrated by the rejection slips he's receiving from the girl sitting next to him on the front seat of his car"
 * "burn with unfulfilled desire. "I'm Goin' Down" masks the same kind of need behind a comic situation." -- comic vs. tragic
 * "down-and-outers brought down by lost love"
 * "loneliness of a frustrated lover"
 * "Springsteen evidences vulnerability, sensitivity and wisdom, coming to terms with his own foibles ... and life's everyday contradictions with an honesty unheard of in macho rock"
 * "touches on something that is not expressed so much in pop culture—the slow, almost unconscious loss of love by one partner for the other over the course of a long and drawn out relationship. Here, the guy still has the love, but the girl just doesn't feel the same. It's as simple as that."
 * "focuses upon the heartbreak associated with attempted or failed romance"
 * ""crushing costs of attempted or failed romance"
 * "romance gone cold"
 * "hilarious song that gets its revenge" -- comic vs. tragic
 * "details the dissolution of a love affair, phrased in startlingly simple but poetic commonplaces"
 * "driven by an almost terrifying lust—sexual liberation is as hard as any other kind to achieve these days"
 * "relatively simple depiction of romantic distress."
 * "decidedly more depressing IGD"

Important
1985-08-24 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/437953892/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1

1985-08-21 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/624001427/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Going%20Down%22&match=1

1985-08-18 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/487490746/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Going%20Down%22&match=1


 * Release date actually August 27?

Performances
Date is date of article, not necessarily concert date
 * Heylin: Springsteen Song by Song: A Critical Look. First documented performance: Rosemont Horizon, Rosement, IL. 1984-08-17.
 * https://books.google.ca/books?id=BuzQAtgxAggC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Springsteen+Song+by+Song:+A+Critical+Look&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj175Ohpf7tAhUTu54KHQcwDyQQ6AEwAHoECAUQAg#v=onepage&q=%22I'm%20Going%20Down%22&f=false


 * Heylin: "jaundiced portrayal of relationships with which Springsteen had been prefacing 'I'm Goin' Down' the previous fall. In these raps, the sexual dynamic had begun with, 'Every place you go, you can't keep your hands off 'em, you're touching 'em all the time, and you wanna make love to 'em all the time', only to end thus, 'If you come back six months later, it's like "Ain't I gonna get a goodnight kiss?" ' "

1984-06-14 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/317290045/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Going%20Down%22&match=1

1984-09-09 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/243170860/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1

1984-09-22 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/146602645/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1

1985-08-16 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/182133760/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Going%20Down%22&match=1

1985-09-05 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/99087433/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1
 * "a re-vamped version of 'I'm Goin' Down' ... showed Springsteen and the E Streeters have learned to shift gears and give a quality show to a large crowd."
 * Himes (115): "The lean, synth-dominated album arrangement was supplemented by a full-tilt rock 'n' soul version climaxed by Clemon's wailing tenor-sax solo." In this performance "he segued smoothly from the story to the song, singing the first verse and chorus
 * Also see below "had a swing on the record we could never capture live"

1985-09-07 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/106373654/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Going%20Down%22&match=1

1985-09-10 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/130083763/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Going%20Down%22&match=1

1985-09-15 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/639197838/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1
 * "unrestrained jubilation of such tunes as..."

1985-09-15 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/461634171/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Going%20Down%22&match=1

1985-10-04 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/655155725/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1

2003-09-19 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/257135479/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Going%20Down%22&match=1

2008-08-04 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/444388686/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1
 * he collected request signage ... Those signs also paved the way for 'I'm Going' Down' (introduced as 'The rarely played and even more rarely requested...')"

2008-08-05 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/533566686/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1
 * "the band was back for the encore. This was another request: "The rarely played and even more rarely requested according to Springsteen, 'I'm Goin' Down' "

2008-08-23 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/279001062/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1

2009-05-17 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/502415692/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Going%20Down%22&match=1
 * Bruce: IGD "had a swing on the record we could never capture live"

2009-05-22 - East Rutherford - https://www.newspapers.com/image/505604201/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1
 * "Again he collected signs from the audience, settling on three very different requests—"Growin' Up," "I'm Goin' Down," and "Prove It All Night."

2009-05-23 - East Rutherford - https://www.newspapers.com/image/320977653/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1
 * "On Thursday the requests were for "Growin' Up," "I'm Goin' Down," and "Prove It All Night," and those songs were among the brightest moments"

2009-10-21 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/199892656/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1

2016-02-29 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/159398698/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1
 * "also the now-familiar Springsteen tropes, including taking requests from signs held up by the crowd": "I Wanna Be With You", "I'm Goin' Down", "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out"

Album Reviews, etc.
1984-05-25 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/182049500/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Going%20Down%22&match=1
 * "The phrase 'I'm going down, down, down, down' is repeated over and over in the chorus while he reminisces about the beginning of a relationship in which 'my kisses used to turn you inside out... but lately you get your kicks just by driving me down'

1984-06-07 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/122214400/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1
 * "the Clemons sax also scores strongly on "I'm Goin' Down," another tail of spurned love yet with an irresistible refrain boosted by handclaps over the drumbeat, keyboards and guitars."

1984-06-07 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/302424308/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1
 * "raucous bar-band fun"

1984-06-10 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/100737875/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1
 * "gem"; on this track "Springsteen the singer and songwriter shines"; "uncovers a haunted Springsteen, frustrated by the rejection slips he's receiving from the girl sitting next to him on the front seat of his car"

1984-06-10 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/254613853/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1
 * "Cover Me," "I'm on Fire" and "Dancing in the Dark" all burn with unfulfilled desire. "I'm Goin' Down" masks the same kind of need behind a comic situation."

1984-06-10 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/488367679/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Going%20Down%22&match=1
 * "relatively undistinguished, a competent reworking of a familiar theme"

1984-06-10 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/99108115/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1
 * "down-and-outers brought down by lost love"

1984-06-15 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/654338863/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1
 * "loneliness of a frustrated lover"

1984-06-16 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/276059416/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1
 * "In these and 'I'm Goin' Down,' Springsteen evidences vulnerability, sensitivity and wisdom, coming to terms with his own foibles ... and life's everyday contradictions with an honesty unheard of in macho rock"

1984-06-22 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/437908141/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1
 * "touches on something that is not expressed so much in pop culture—the slow, almost unconscious loss of love by one partner for the other over the course of a long and drawn out relationship. Here, the guy still has the love, but the girl just doesn't feel the same. It's as simple as that."

1984-06-22 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/437837154/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Going%20Down%22&match=1
 * "one of the stronger rock-based offerings ... a nostalgic little ditty replete with the rock 'n' roll insignia of clapping in the background ... focuses upon the heartbreak associated with attempted or failed romance"

1984-06-24 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/216519208/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1
 * "He's also more adventurous, trying ... fleshed out rockabilly ("Darlington County", "I'm Goin' Down")..."

1984-07-06 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/638197821/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1
 * "even when the message is downbeat ... the band plays with the passion of the early rockabilly artists."

1984-07-06 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/638197821/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Going%20Down%22&match=1
 * "standout tracks like "Bobby Jean" and "I'm Going Down". Max Weinberg's drumming propels the latter, which sounds like the possible second single."

1984-07-07 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/494054077/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1
 * "simply a concession to the zit set"

1984-07-12 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/692376882/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Going%20Down%22&match=1
 * "crushing costs of attempted or failed romance"

1984-07-14 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/461132121/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Going%20Down%22&match=1
 * "romance gone cold"

1984-07-14 - https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/born-in-the-u-s-a-97901/
 * "A great dancer himself, Springsteen puts an infectious beat under his songs. In the wonderfully exuberant “I’m Goin’ Down,” a hilarious song that gets its revenge, he makes a giddy run of nonsense syllables out of the chorus while drummer Max Weinberg whams out a huge backbeat."

1984-09-13 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/175354429/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Going%20Down%22&match=1
 * "'I'm Going Down" and especially 'Glory Days' are the emotional centerpieces of the album, and perhaps the finest examples of Springsteen's songwriting to date ... 'I'm Going Down' details the dissolution of a love affair, phrased in startlingly simple but poetic commonplaces"

1985-09-13 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/358149526/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1
 * "...are driven by an almost terrifying lust—sexual liberation is as hard as any other kind to achieve these days"

1985-09-13 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/236475382/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1
 * "Dud of the week... uninspired offering... time for the Boss to ... stop wearing out his welcome with filler album cuts."

2002-07-29 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/256518408/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1
 * "downright bouncy for a break-up song"

2004-06-05 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/130841937/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1
 * "Did the boss delegate his lyric-writing duties for this mind-writing dreck?"

2014-01-06 - https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/100-greatest-bruce-springsteen-songs-of-all-time-32486/im-goin-down-40738/
 * "at one of its rare concert appearances, he jokingly called it 'one of my more insightful songs about men and women' "
 * "some heard it as an allusion to oral sex"
 * "despite being one of his catchiest songs, Springsteen has always seemed somewhat ambivalent about his relatively simple depiction of romantic distress."
 * "fun, straightforward rocker"
 * "almost didn’t make it onto Born in the U.S.A. – “It was either this or ‘Pink Cadillac,'” Springsteen said years later when introducing it live."

2014-06-04 - https://web.archive.org/web/20140608004126/https://www.billboard.com/articles/review/6106507/bruce-springsteen-born-in-the-usa-30-classic-song-by-song-album-review
 * "easily the most underrated song "Born In The USA" despite its chart success"
 * "prime exemplar of the kind of good-time party song that Springsteen and E Street do best, sliding easily through the verses with a deceptively sad tale of faded love despite the bouncing rhythm."
 * "another golden Clarence Clemons sax solo right in the middle, and a fun, jumping end."
 * "It's another song that's still a crowd pleaser around the globe, and with good reason."

2015 - Lewis
 * "I'm on Fire" and "other nod to C&W is 'I'm Goin' Down', which sounds in places like Johnny Cash. Both paved the way for the more explicit country flavours of Tunnel of Love."

2017
 * https://www.nj.com/entertainment/music/2017/10/bruce_springsteen_songs_ranked_springsteen_on_broa.html

Other
Heylin: Originally "Down, Down, Down". Recorded May 12-13 1982.
 * "An end-of-tether discourse, its original title 'Down, Down, Down' said it best. Recorded in a hurry (over 10 takes) with its own punch-drunk arrangement, this was another song Springsteen allowed the band to vamp away, only to curtail them in the final mix. Side-one closer on the original 1982 sequence, this was only a last-minute addition to the 1984 album."


 * https://books.google.ca/books?id=BuzQAtgxAggC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Springsteen+Song+by+Song:+A+Critical+Look&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj175Ohpf7tAhUTu54KHQcwDyQQ6AEwAHoECAUQAg#v=onepage&q=%22I'm%20Going%20Down%22&f=false

1985-08-30 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/363641070/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1
 * "As has become customary with Springsteen's singles, the B-side is an unreleased cut called 'Janey, Don't You Lose heart'."

1985-09-05 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/253306331/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1
 * Info about "JDYLH"

1985-10-12 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/495410550/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1
 * "JDYLH"

1986-01-26 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/639126149/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1
 * More info about matching Thriller record

1987-03-01 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/144218290/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Going%20Down%22&match=1
 * "JDYLH

1988-03-04 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/264299522/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1
 * A bit of info about "Held Up Without a Gun" and "Janey Don't You Lose Heart"
 * 1998-11-09 - https://www.irishtimes.com/news/springsteen-tells-court-of-living-in-near-poverty-1.201760
 * 1977-09-11 - https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/bruce-springsteen-reclaims-the-future-179300/
 * Background for HUWAG.

1988-03-10 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/169798095/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Going%20Down%22&match=1
 * A bit of info about "Held Up Without a Gun" and "Janey Don't You Lose Heart" ("decidedly more depressing IGD")

1995-03-29 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/232651359/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=2
 * Greatest Hits: "interesting that several top-40 singles ... have been bypassed in favor of album tracks"

1998-11-26 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/176995060/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1
 * "JDYLH"

2001-09-21 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/131661619/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1
 * "Songs you won't hear on the radio – at least for a while"

Covers
Kid Harpoon and Florence and the Machine

1997-10-09 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/356954901/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Going%20Down%22&match=1
 * Frank Black on IGD
 * http://www.frankblack.net/songs/default.asp?menu=ep&mode=release-song-details&releaseID=750&songID=151
 * https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-complete-recordings/1173826016

2010-09-14 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/444084566/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1
 * VW "refreshing surprise"

2010-10-05 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/152284918/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1
 * Vampire Weekend ("subdued, synthesizer-driven version")

2010-10-12 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/575761414/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Going%20Down%22&match=1
 * More about VW

In 2010, multiple publications (media outlets?) including Pitchfork and Stereogum commented on how Vampire Weekend and Free Energy (with Titus Andronicus) chose to perform "I'm Goin' Down" in concert within weeks of each other.

In 2010, the websites Stereogum, Pitchfork, and The Awl noted how multiple bands had recently performed "I'm Goin' Down" in live settings within weeks of each other: Vampire Weekend played the song in concert in Vancouver and a few days later in early September on a radio show in Seattle, while Free Energy and Titus Andronicus performed it together later that month in Atlanta on their joint tour. Like Frank Black, members of Vampire Weekend have expressed their high regard for Springsteen's composition and for his work as a whole. Free Energy and Vampire Weekend each released a recording of it on iTunes in 2010; other releases include a Spotify single by Vampire Weekend in 2019.

2014-05-02 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/364477621/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1
 * "covered "IGD" in typical puckish fashion.. whimsical homage"
 * Chris Baio: "That's a guy were all really into... incredible melodies, incredible lyrics. We thought it would be exciting to put our spin on it."
 * Bassist Chris Baio later commented that at the time of the recording all the bandmembers were big fans of Springsteen's "incredible melodies, incredible lyrics" and "thought it would be exciting to put our spin on [the song]".


 * Vampire Weekend
 * https://music.apple.com/us/album/itunes-session-ep/408058598
 * https://www.jambase.com/article/vampire-weekend-bruce-springsteen-cover-spotify-stream
 * https://pitchfork.com/news/39906-watch-vampire-weekend-cover-springsteen-live/
 * "When we spoke with Vampire Weekend leader singer Ezra Koenig recently for our 5-10-15-20 feature, he talked about his recent infatuation with Bruce Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A. "I've gone through a lot of favorite songs from the album," he said. "For a while, 'I'm Goin' Down' was my favorite, and I listened to that constantly. It had this happy feel, but somewhat depressing lyrics about going down. That one really stood out for me." "
 * https://www.stereogum.com/490441/vampire-weekend-im-goin-down-bruce-springsteen-cover-live-video/news/
 * "Vampire Weekend’s cover of “I’m Goin’ Down” lacks Clarence Clemens and a little E Street oomph. The guys gave the Born In The U.S.A. track a go in Canada (Malkin Bowl, Vancouver) over the weekend (8/28). There’s something enjoyable about the restraint. A few folks sang along."
 * https://www.stereogum.com/495952/vampire-weekends-springsteen-cover-gets-an-official-recording/music/
 * "Earlier this week we posted about Vampire Weekend at Malkin Bowl in Vancouver. The guys just sat down for Seattle’s 107.7 The End’s 200th “Endsession” and did a clearer, stripped-down acoustic take. (Still no sax solo.)"
 * https://consequence.net/2010/08/watch-vampire-weekend-cover-springsteens-im-goin-down/
 * https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/8517707/vampire-weekend-spotify-singles-bruce-springsteen
 * (2019-06-26) "Out today (June 26), Vampire Weekend’s new Spotify Singles session features two tracks recorded at New York’s legendary Electric Lady Studios... And the Boss' 1985 single is an old favorite of Ezra Koenig and the gang; they actually covered it for their iTunes Session EP back in 2010."

2010-12-12 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/200909009/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Goin%27%20Down%22&match=1
 * Titus Andronicus and Free Energy
 * https://www.theawl.com/2010/09/free-energy-and-titus-andronicus-im-going-down-and-bruce-springsteen-covers-throughout-history/
 * "Philly’s Free Energy and Jersey’s Titus Andronicus just finished a tour together. At one of the last shows, last week in Atlanta, the Titus guys joined Free Energy for a beery, raucous rendition of “I’m Goin’ Down” ... Coincidentally, this is the same Springsteen song NYC’s Vampire Weekend has been playing lately."
 * https://pitchfork.com/news/40195-video-titus-andronicus-and-free-energy-cover-bruce-springsteens-im-goin-down/
 * "Free Energy also cover "I'm Goin' Down" on [a new tour-only split 7"](http://pitchfork.com/news/39618-new-release-titus-andronicusfree-energy-split-tour-covers-7/ "a new tour-only split 7"" ) with Titus."
 * https://www.stereogum.com/525891/titus-andronicus-free-energy-cover-that-springsteen-song-vampire-weekend-covered-a-few-weeks-ago/news/
 * "Titus Andronicus & Free Energy Cover That Springsteen Song Vampire Weekend Covered A Few Weeks Ago: The tourmates performed “I’m Goin’ Down” at the Earl in Atlanta last week, in direct violation of Vampire Weekend’s multiple takes on the same Springsteen track. Truth is, Free Energy and Titus Andronicus do a better job locating the joyous, unbuttoned spirit of the live original... In addition to the collaborative effort, Free Energy covered the song by themselves for a split tour-only 7″ that features Titus doing the Television Personalities’ “Anxiety Block” on the other side. Surprised the Jersey boys (and girls) would let some Philly dudes handle the Boss.
 * https://www.bostonherald.com/2010/11/25/free-energy-has-hijinks-to-spare/
 * "They loosened up at set’s end with their college-radio hit “Bang Pop” and a scrappy cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m Goin’ Down.” This was bar-band rock with no message at all, and it sounded great."
 * https://music.apple.com/ca/album/im-going-down-single/715702418

2014-09-16 - https://www.newspapers.com/image/502941796/?terms=Springsteen%20%22I%27m%20Going%20Down%22&match=1
 * Trampled by Turtles adding banjos and fiddles"