I came across this thread whilst looking for info on 'Ode to Billy Joe' a song that used to scare me as a kid. What WERE Billy Joe and the Singer of the song throwing "off the Tallahatchie Bridge" the week before he jumps off himself?? When I was a kid, we assumed she had given birth in the woods to their illegitimate child and that he and her tossed the baby off the Bridge and then unable to live with the guilt, he jumped himself. This is probably because something similar to that happened when we were young and it was the talk of all the teens.

Regarding Counties:

I must have Springtseen on the brain tonite, but some examples from his songbook seem to indicate that County names and the concept of the County istelf as a boundary loom large in his mind. He is always referring to the borders of various Counties in Jersey with lines about people 'driving across the County Line.'

I think I know why. County Lines in rural areas of Jersey and New York are often jurisdictional borders beyond wich certain law enforrcement agencies will not pursue someone. They were, when he was growing up, a lot like State Lines were in the 70's. There were also very strong territorial feelings amongst us kids who lived in one county or another. Just for laughs, I only now hollered to my husband.. "What county are you from" and in an instant he yelled back from the Kitchen "Mercer!" Mercer County is in NJ for those that don't know.

Those of us who were musicians in those States can recall participating in All-County Band and All-County Chorus and then eventually, the next step up - All-State Chorus and All-STate band. As you grow older, if you get involved in loacl politics, it's all happening at the Country Level. All of our prosecutions of criminals usually take place at the County level. The County Seat is where you go to get married civilly, it's where you used to have to register for the Draft until Carter changed that. Now you do it at the Post Office. And then, there is the all-mighty County fair!

Some States are more tied into this than others. I can still recite all the counties in my Home State, NY, as well as those of most of the bordering States. In the Southern US, I think it's even more important than it was to us in the East.

Back to Springsteen: In his song Wreck on The Highway, he refers to a road which is "A deserted stretch of a County 2 lane" as opposed to a Highway. If you are from where he is, you know immediately that this describes a rural, narrow highway which usually winds through and between various towns. They are often quite spooky at night and hazardous in the rain which is why he chose that setting for the song. He refers to Counties by name in other songs. I wish I could think of some other examples, but I wasn't thinking about the subject when i happened upon this thread.

In conclusion - I believe it depends on which part of the US you are from as to whether or not Counties hold any significance to you.