This list of my favorite Bruce Springsteen songs were chosen by what each one means to me, how they influence me and the lyrics that really make them stand out.
5) Reason To Believe, Nebraska - 1980
"Seen a man standin' over a dead dog lyin' by the highway in a ditch
He's lookin' down kinda puzzled pokin' that dog with a stick
Got his car door flung open he's standin' out on Highway 31
Like if he stood there long enough that dog'd get up and run
Struck me kinda funny seem kinda funny sir to me
At the end of every hard earned day people find some reason to believe
Now Mary Lou loved Johnny with a love mean and true
She said 'Baby I'll work for you every day and bring my money home to you'
One day he up and left her and ever since that
She waits down at the end of that dirt road for young Johnny to come back
Struck me kinda funny seemed kind of funny sir to me
How at the end of every hard earned day people find some reason to believe
Take a baby to the river Kyle William they called him
Wash the baby in the water take away little Kyle's sin
In a whitewash shotgun shack an old man passes away
Take his body to the graveyard and over him they pray
Lord won't you tell us tell us what does it mean
Still at the end of every hard earned day people find some reason to believe
Congregation gathers down by the riverside
Preacher stands with his Bible groom stands waitin' for his bride
Congregation gone and the sun sets behind a weepin' willow tree
Groom stands alone and watches the river rush on so effortlessly
Lord and he's wonderin' where can his baby be
Still at the end of every hard earned day people find some reason to believe"
This song actually meant so much to me that when I met Bruce Springsteen, I told him "Thank you for being my reason to believe." (which I will write more about soon) But the joy in his eyes when he saw a young fan (I'm 16 years old) say that to him was indescribable.
Each character in this song gives off a sense of optimism, yet not total fulfillment. The man standing over the dead dog, hoping it would somehow come back to life. Mary Lou hoping Johnny, her boyfriend, would soon come back to her. And in the last verse when the groom has been waiting at his wedding ceremony all day for his bride to show up, even after the preacher and congregation leave him with just the sunset and willow tree.
All of the verses represent a "never give up" mentality. Springsteen at the end of each verse sings, "Still at the end of every hard earned day people find some reason to believe" which is relatable for me because I go to school and have 2 jobs that keep me busy, so everyday to me is a "hard earned day" that I try to make the most of.
4) We Take Care Of Our Own, Wrecking Ball - 2012
"I been knocking on the door that holds the throne
I been looking for the map that leads me home
I been stumbling on good hearts turned to stone
The road of good intentions has gone dry as a bone
We take care of our own
We take care of our own
Wherever this flag's flown
We take care of our own
From Chicago to New Orleans, from the muscle to the bone
From the shotgun shack to the Superdome
There ain't no help, the cavalry stayed home
There ain't no one hearing the bugle blowin'
We take care of our own
We take care of our own
Wherever this flag's flown
We take care of our own
Where're the eyes, the eyes with the will to see?
Where're the hearts that run over with mercy?
Where's the love that has not forsaken me?
Where's the work that set my hands, my soul free?
Where's the spirit that'll reign, reign over me?
Where's the promise from sea to the shining sea?
Where's the promise from sea to the shining sea?
Wherever this flag is flown
Wherever this flag is flown
Wherever this flag is flown
We take care of our own
We take care of our own
Wherever this flag's flown"
We Take Care Of Our Own has a special meaning to me because it is actually one of the first songs I heard after discovering Bruce. This was March 2nd, 2012 and he was promoting the Wrecking Ball album on Jimmy Fallon's Late Night Show. Springsteen played this live on the show and I was already intrigued by not only the stamina of himself and the band but also the lyrics and meaning behind the song. Being that I was only 12 at the time, I knew Springsteen had lyrics that I could find meaning to and really enjoy. (And he mentioned my hometown of Chicago, which was exciting and rare)
The part of the song that I enjoy the most is when Bruce asks questions to the listeners for them to think about, such as, "Where's the promise from sea to the shining sea?" These questions are anger filled. He’s not celebrating the good in American culture, instead he’s furious that those ideals are so nonexistent from our nation's priorities. This is another politically charged song, which Springsteen has made known for writing about.
3) The Promised Land, Darkness On The Edge Of Town - 1978
"On a rattlesnake speedway in the Utah desert
I pick up my money and head back into town
Driving cross the Waynesboro county line
I got the radio on and I'm just killing time
Working all day in my daddy's garage
Driving all night, chasing some mirage
Pretty soon little girl I'm gonna take charge.
The dogs on main street howl,
'cause they understand,
If I could take one moment into my hands
Mister, I ain't a boy, no, I'm a man,
And I believe in a promised land.
I've done my best to live the right way
I get up every morning and go to work each day
But your eyes go blind and your blood runs cold
Sometimes I feel so weak I just want to explode
Explode and tear this town apart
Take a knife and cut this pain from my heart
Find somebody itching for something to start
The dogs on main street howl,
'cause they understand,
If I could take one moment into my hands
Mister, I ain't a boy, no, I'm a man,
And I believe in a promised land.
There's a dark cloud rising from the desert floor
I packed my bags and I'm heading straight into the storm
Gonna be a twister to blow everything down
That ain't got the faith to stand its ground
Blow away the dreams that tear you apart
Blow away the dreams that break your heart
Blow away the lies that leave you nothing but lost and brokenhearted
The dogs on main street howl,
'cause they understand,
If I could take one moment into my hands
Mister, I ain't a boy, no, I'm a man,
And I believe in a promised land
I believe in a promised land..."
The Promised Land has amazing lyrics, with great meaning. With these lyrics, you can tell that Springsteen suffers from anxiety and depression, (which his book, Born To Run talks more deeply about.) Each verse shows how the character changes and grows over time. The song shows the theme of life being tough, but eventually with hard work and the right mindset, it will get better. For a lot of people, their "Promised Land" is having their dream job, moving to their favorite city or even just raising a family of their own.
My vision of "The Promised Land" is to be content with my life and have a career teaching history, mostly because I was influenced by the teachers I've had through my years of being a student who really inspired me to be like them. (Shout out to the Social Science department at Maine East High School, & especially my cool, rockin' APUSH teacher!)
"Working all day in my daddy's garage, Driving all night, chasing some mirage" To me, this is the teenage stage of the character. The mirage that the character is chasing are his difficulties of life. Instead of ignoring them, he wants to find out his problems and attempt to deal with them.
"Sometimes I feel so weak I just want to explode" is a strong lyric because once you've hit the point of exhaustion, you essentially have a feeling of giving up. This is especially how I feel after working 12-15 hour days at work on the weekends and maybe find a way to get my priorities straight, before life just passes by.
The last verse is what I feel as one of his most powerful ever written. "Gonna be a twister to blow everything down, that ain't got the faith to stand it's ground" You always need a sense of safety and a feeling of faith that keeps people going.
"Blow away the lies that leave you nothing but lost and brokenhearted" The character in the song is now more mature and has learned how to deal with life the right way. It tells the listener if you ignore the negatives of life, then you'd be better off. The lies can either be considered the rumors people spread about you or even what people tell you to make you feel better, even though it's completely false.
The chorus, "Mister, I ain't a boy, no, I'm a man, And I believe in a promised land" really shows the character learning from his past experiences and proving that he has grown significantly. The theme of this song is shown throughout much of Springsteen's work, but is very well told in this iconic song.
2) Badlands, Darkness On The Edge Of Town - 1978
"Lights out tonight,
Trouble in the heartland,
Got a head on collision,
Smashin' in my guts, man,
I'm caught in a cross fire,
That I don't understand,
But there's one thing I know for sure, girl,
I don't give a damn
For the same old played out scenes,
Baby, I don't give a damn
For just the in-betweens,
Honey, I want the heart, I want the soul,
I want control right now,
You better listen to me, baby
Talk about a dream,
Try to make it real
You wake up in the night,
With a fear so real,
You spend your life waiting,
For a moment that just don't come,
Well, don't waste your time waiting,
Badlands, you gotta live it everyday,
Let the broken hearts stand
As the price you've gotta pay,
We'll keep pushin' 'til it's understood,
And these badlands start treating us good.
Workin' in the fields
'til you get your back burned,
Workin' 'neath the wheels
'til you get your facts learned,
Baby, I got my facts
Learned real good right now,
You better get it straight, darlin'
Poor man wanna be rich,
Rich man wanna be king,
And a king ain't satisfied,
'til he rules everything,
I wanna go out tonight,
I wanna find out what I got
Well, I believe in the love that you gave me,
I believe in the faith that can save me,
I believe in the hope and I pray,
That someday it may raise me
Above these badlands
Badlands, you gotta live it everyday,
Let the broken hearts stand
As the price you've gotta pay,
We'll keep pushin' 'til it's understood,
And these badlands start treating us good.
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside,
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
I wanna find one face that ain't looking through me
I wanna find one place,
I wanna spit in the face of these...
Badlands, you gotta live it everyday,
Let the broken hearts stand
As the price you've gotta pay,
We'll keep movin' 'til it's understood,
And these badlands start treating us good."
Badlands does an awesome job of making you feel powerful, yet it makes you think about your own life through the lyrics. I feel this song has real deep meaning so I'll try to go through it and tell you what I believe Bruce is trying to convey to his audience.
Bruce always represented the working man and the blue collar majority through his music. He's relating to those who work hard everyday, "getting their backs burned"
"I don't give a damn for the same old played out scenes, I don't give a damn, for just the in betweens" The word choice here shows the anger that has been building up inside. The same played out scenes may be the reoccurring events in his life that he's tired of and the in betweens, I would say are people who aren't decisive or can't think for themselves.
He "wants the heart, the soul, control right now" Springsteen feels there's more to life than just the routine of going to work and home, maybe seeking for a friendship or relationship that makes him feel good about himself.
"Getting the facts straight", learning more and also, exploring further than his own secluded world he lives in. However at the same time, reality slowly begins to set in. Now the dream he's trying to make real seems so unattainable, it's heartbreaking,"let the broken hearts stand, as the price you've gotta pay" He tries to make certain to the listener that it doesn't hurt to dream and try to make that dream real. The message is to not let negativity take away from your daily life and happiness so "don't waste your time waiting" Saying how there's no time to waste because life is too short to be one of those "in betweens"
Springsteen wants people to realize that being in the working class is something to be proud of, everything has it's ups and downs. Just like in the lyrics where he says "For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside, that it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive" Helping many people through hard times and assuring them that whatever gloomy state your life is in now, will eventually get better.
Many people can work in this country and live in decent conditions, and you don't have to live up to anyone's standards to be successful. The rich men are never happy cause they are always looking for the next big thing they can take power of. Even the king (or person in power) isn't "satisfied till he rules everything" Springsteen is not saying to "rule everything", but rather to follow his deep aspirations and dreams to raise him above the "Badlands."
Which I think can relate to another Bruce song called, "Man At The Top" from Tracks.
That was sort of a long explanation, but I hope you see why it's such an anthem and a fantastic song to hear live. Especially with the crowd at the end singing the "ohh whoa oh whoa whoa" on their own, is certain to give anyone goosebumps.
1) Thunder Road, Born To Run - 1975
"The screen door slams, Mary's dress sways
Like a vision she dances across the porch as the radio plays
Roy Orbison singing for the lonely
Hey, that's me and I want you only
Don't turn me home again, I just can't face myself alone again
Don't run back inside, darling, you know just what I'm here for
So you're scared and you're thinking that maybe we ain't that young anymore
Show a little faith, there's magic in the night
You ain't a beauty but, hey, you're alright
Oh, and that's alright with me
You can hide 'neath your covers and study your pain
Make crosses from your lovers, throw roses in the rain
Waste your summer praying in vain
For a savior to rise from these streets
Well now, I ain't no hero, that's understood
All the redemption I can offer, girl, is beneath this dirty hood
With a chance to make it good somehow
Hey, what else can we do now?
Except roll down the window and let the wind blow back your hair
Well, the night's busting open, these two lanes will take us anywhere
We got one last chance to make it real
To trade in these wings on some wheels
Climb in back, heaven's waiting on down the tracks
Oh oh, come take my hand
We're riding out tonight to case the promised land
Oh oh oh oh, Thunder Road
Oh, Thunder Road, oh, Thunder Road
Lying out there like a killer in the sun
Hey, I know it's late, we can make it if we run
Oh oh oh oh, Thunder Road
Sit tight, take hold, Thunder Road
Well, I got this guitar and I learned how to make it talk
And my car's out back if you're ready to take that long walk
From your front porch to my front seat
The door's open but the ride ain't free
And I know you're lonely for words that I ain't spoken
But tonight we'll be free, all the promises'll be broken
There were ghosts in the eyes of all the boys you sent away
They haunt this dusty beach road in the skeleton frames of burned-out Chevrolets
They scream your name at night in the street
Your graduation gown lies in rags at their feet
And in the lonely cool before dawn
You hear their engines rolling on
But when you get to the porch, they're gone on the wind
So Mary, climb in
It's a town full of losers, I'm pulling out of here to win"
Thunder Road is the first track off of one of the greatest albums ever written, Born To Run. This poetic song, gives you the ability to visualize and imagine the story as you listen which is astonishing to me. It becomes the beginning of an amazing adventure Springsteen tells throughout the entire album.
The first 20 seconds, with Roy Bittan on piano and Bruce on harmonica can be seen as an invitation to join the ride down Thunder Road.
The first verse is referring to Mary, leaving a place where she's been lonely for so long, dancing her way to freedom on the front porch and a new beginning. The allusion Springsteen made to the late, great Roy Orbison and his song, "Only The Lonely" is fantastic because many people can understand the reference.
Now Mary is feeling rebellious and ready to start her new life. But, she is sort of hesitant, because she's not sure how it'll turn out because of past experiences. The lyric, "You're thinking that maybe we ain't that young anymore" shows Mary realizing the beginning of her adulthood. The ease of childhood is over and she has to face the reality of the harsh, new world.
The 2nd verse represents how Mary feels about risking it all to start fresh with Bruce, the male character. Her summer wastes away hoping an opportunity or "savior" will come to save her. Bruce tries to comfort Mary by telling her the truth that he isn't a "hero" and the only way to breakout from the depressed state she's in is to drive off in his car with rolled down windows and an open road that will "take them anywhere." One of the most symbolic ways to justify a rock and roll song is to mention a car, and Bruce is on point here.
Then, Bruce offers his hand as assistance to Mary in taking her along for the ride. He's helping her move on to find a new and better beginning. In his car they are "riding out to case the promised land" or known as the better life they both know exists, (which he sings about much more on Darkness in 1978). It's a stormy, dark and bumpy road (Thunder Road) but they can make it to their promised land, if they try.
Bruce believes that since he has a guitar that he knows how to play and a car, that he can easily make a better life for himself somewhere else. However, he doesn't want to commit to this by himself. He asks Mary to take the long walk from her front porch to his front seat, showing the difficulty of leaving all the memories and family behind.
The last verse has lots of meaning to it that can be interpreted different ways. "Ghosts in the eyes of all the boys Mary sent away" is referring to the non-existence of all of the past men who attempted to take advantage of her without having her true interests in mind. They didn't care about her growing up or getting a better life, they just wanted Mary. The "graduation gowns laying in rags at their feet" is another symbolic phrase referring to youth and her potential. Mary has always wanted someone to save her from her trapped life, and when she "hears the engines roaring on" of the men who have previously attempted to pick her up she's always been left in the dust. Which "..but when you get to the porch they're gone" refers to. Bruce then tells Mary to climb in to his car, however the last line of the songs says, "It's a town full of losers, and I'm pulling out of here to win" which leaves me wondering if Mary ever joined Bruce for the ride because of the use of "I'm" instead of "we're"
The way I determine if a song is great is if I can play it on repeat and never get sick of it. I remember my first time listening to Thunder Road and it brought tears to my eyes because of the story of loneliness, wanting to take a break from stressful situations and have some optimism with the last lyric, "pull out of here to win."
Through Bruce Springsteen's entire catalog of music you can tell how much effort he puts in to write his songs and make them the best they can be. I don't know what I'd do without your music, so thanks Bruce!
I hope you all enjoyed this post!
