What song was playing? "Gory Days?"
An Australian woman was sentenced to eight years in jail this week for killing her partner -- because he wouldn't let her play her favorite Bruce Springsteen CD.
"I mean, who doesn't like Bruce Springsteen?" Karen Lee Cooper told police in Brisbane after she was arrested. "I'm 49 years old and I want to play my own music."
Cooper had been charged with murder, but pleaded guilty to manslaughter after arguing she had no intention on stabbing her de facto husband through the aorta while drinking that day.
What was her favorite Springsteen album? The story from the Aussie newspaper doesn't say. I'm open to suggestions from you Springsteen-philes out there.
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Oh man! That's just insane. I guess if you're going to kill someone over music, it might as well be 'The Boss.'
"The Wild, the Innocent and the E-Street Shuffle" ~ She's a die hard fan. So, I guess the early days.
Posted by: Marissa | March 13, 2008 at 08:38 AM
Clearly she was a fan of my favorite Springstein album, the dreary, serial killer tinged "Nebraska". Mix that album, a wee bit of liqour and a smattering of chemical imbalance and it has homicide written all over it.
Posted by: Sherrie | March 13, 2008 at 08:51 AM
Ah! Well played, Sherrie. I have never felt inclined to kill someone over music. Now, I wanted to b*i*t*c*h slap my ex-husband for assuming he got all the Radiohead and Ozzy CDs in the divorce.
Posted by: Marissa | March 13, 2008 at 09:08 AM
I'm giggling over the fact that she's all "I'm 49 years old and I can play whatever music I want." Playin' the age card. Good move, crazy lady.
I'm also reminded of the breakup scene in St. Elmo's Fire:
"You cannot have the Pretenders' first album --that's mine....
...No Springsteen is leaving this house! You can have all the Carly Simons..."
Posted by: jane | March 13, 2008 at 09:13 AM
Yikes, in only one comment I managed to mispell Springsteen AND liquor! Yes friends, I have two master's degrees and I can't spell worth a darn. It must be all that liqour I drink while blaring Springstein albums. (Or more likely, the fact that I hadn't had a sip of caffeine yet when that comment was posted.)
Posted by: Sherrie | March 13, 2008 at 10:09 AM
Surely I'm on Fire was playing at the time. With the lyrics,
"Sometimes its like someone took a knife baby
Edgy and dull and cut a six-inch valley
Through the middle of my soul"
Hell, I can see how she got soul and aorta mixed up, they sound so much alike.
Posted by: Ian from Down Under | March 13, 2008 at 10:18 AM
No doubt it had to be Nebraska. Great call Sherrie. No Springsteen album equals death like Nebraska.
But what really happened was this:
Monica Geller-Bing (AKA Karen Lee Cooper): Honey? Why is the Bruce Springsteen CD in the Cat Stevens case?
Chandler Bing (AKA Dead Common Law Husband): Let's just say if I can't find the right CD case I just put them in the nearest one.
Monica Geller-Bing: Ok, well, where's the Cat Stevens CD?
Chandler Bing: In the James Taylor case.
Monica Geller-Bing: Where's the James Taylor CD?
Chandler Bing: Honey, I'll save you some time: two hundred CDs? Not one of them in the right case.
Next step - knife to the aorta.
Posted by: DoctorDrew | March 13, 2008 at 10:58 AM
I'm with Sherrie. Since murder was involved, the obvious choice is 'Nebraska'.
Posted by: Bassnote | March 13, 2008 at 11:00 AM
Here's how I think it went down:
Dead Guy: Not Springsteen again!
Karen Lee Cooper: What's wrong with The Boss?
DG: It's just that some of his stuff is such a downer.
KLC: They're not "downers", they're insightful peeks into human nature. Who can't relate to heartfelt tales of broken dreams? To that feeling that where you are isn't where you wanted to be?
DG: Like shacking up with a 49-year-old?
KLC: Exactly.
DG: [Jumps onto knife]
Posted by: Jeff in Cuba | March 13, 2008 at 12:17 PM
Actually, this smacks of someone who has no taste at all and probably wanted to listen to Tunnel Of Love or something.
Posted by: Douglas Arthur | March 13, 2008 at 01:52 PM
Them's fightin' words Douglas! Where's my knife?!
Posted by: Bassnote | March 13, 2008 at 02:32 PM
I think it was probably the Ghost of Tom Joad. When she put that on, he said OK just go ahead and put a knife into my heart, I can't handle this CD one more time. But I agree with Douglas, this lady probably doesn't have good enough taste to even own Nebraska, she was probably playing Springsteens greatest hits or something.
Posted by: Neil | March 13, 2008 at 02:58 PM
[small voice] I like "Tunnel of Love" and "Brilliant Disguise"[/small voice]
Posted by: jane | March 13, 2008 at 04:01 PM
Just to keep it 80's bassnote, I'll just say, "That's not a knife."
Anyway, I don't think Tunnel of Love is in many critic's top10 lists
Posted by: Douglas Arthur | March 13, 2008 at 07:35 PM
Just playing Douglas.
However, even if the critics don't like it, I am still fond of that album. I'm actually going to see the Boss (again) on Monday, in Milwaukee.
Posted by: Bassnote | March 13, 2008 at 09:43 PM
(ha ha ha) Bruce Springsteen. He is as bad as manilow. EAR PEIRCING NOISE!
Posted by: Rodger | March 14, 2008 at 08:03 AM