Sandpaper (feat. Bruce Springsteen)

Zach Bryan's song "Sandpaper (feat. Bruce Springsteen)" is a poignant exploration of love's enduring and sometimes abrasive nature. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a love that is both deeply desired and profoundly challenging. The opening lines, "The shape you take when you lay like that / Reminds me of a love I've never had," suggest a longing for an idealized love, one that feels almost unattainable. This sets the tone for the rest of the song, where the narrator grapples with the fear of losing this love, even more than the fear of death itself.

The metaphor of sandpaper is central to the song's theme. Sandpaper, known for its rough texture, symbolizes the way this love clings to the narrator, becoming more ingrained the harder he tries to forget it. The repeated trips uptown to clear his mind only serve to reinforce how inescapable this love is. The changing seasons—winter, spring, and summer—serve as a backdrop to the narrator's emotional journey. Winter represents a period of hardship, while spring brings a sense of renewal and hope. However, the promise to love until summer returns suggests a cyclical nature of emotions, where love persists through all seasons.

The collaboration with Bruce Springsteen adds a layer of depth to the song, as Springsteen's gravelly voice complements Bryan's raw, emotional delivery. The line "They've been tryin' to smooth me out / For twenty-seven seasons now" speaks to the enduring impact of this love over many years, highlighting the narrator's struggle to be 'smoothed out' or changed by external forces. Ultimately, the song captures the essence of a love that is both a source of immense joy and profound struggle, a love that shapes and defines the narrator's very being.