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Bruce Springsteen - Glory Days

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Bruce Springsteen - Glory Days Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Born In The U.S.A.
Released: 1984

Glory Days Lyrics

Glory Days Song Chart

This is one of Springsteen's favorites. He almost always plays it at the impromptu bar gigs he is famous for on the Jersey Shore.

In concert, Springsteen often extends this to over 10 minutes. Perhaps the most compact version he ever played was at halftime of the 2009 Super Bowl, when he squeezed 4 songs into a 12 minute set.

Springsteen: "The first verse actually happened, the second verse mostly happened, the third verse, of course, is happening now."

Originally, this contained a 4th verse which mentioned Springsteen's father working on the Ford assembly line.

Springsteen performed this June 25, 1993 on the last David Letterman Show on NBC. Letterman is a huge fan but had never had Springsteen on. Bruce did go on the show a few more times after it moved to CBS.

This was one of 7 US top 10 hits on Born In The U.S.A. The band first recorded it in 1982, but it was not released until the album came out.

The video was directed by John Sayles, who also did Springsteen's promos for "Born In The U.S.A." and "I'm On Fire." In the video, Springsteen plays a cross between the character telling the story and the guy he's singing about. Julianne Phillips, who was Springsteen's wife at the time, appears in the video, as does Patti Scialfa, who later became the next Mrs. Springsteen.

On the day Springsteen released his album The Rising, he played a concert on The Today Show. This was the only song he played that was not on the new album.

Bruce Springsteen - I'm Goin' Down

Bruce Springsteen - I'm Goin' Down Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Born In The U.S.A.
Released: 1984

I'm Goin' Down Lyrics

I'm Goin' Down Song Chart

The band recorded this in May 1982, but it wasn't released until Born In The U.S.A. was finished in 1984.

Like many Springsteen songs, this one contains a girl and a car, but it's filled with more frustration than possibility as he sings about getting the cold shoulder from the lady, who keeps knocking him "down."

This was the sixth of seven Top 10 US singles on the Born In The U.S.A. album. The album had been out for over a year by the time it was released as a single.

We counted 80 repetitions of the word "down" in this song, making it Springsteen's most repetitious track.

Bruce Springsteen - No Surrender

Bruce Springsteen - No Surrender Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Born In The U.S.A.
Released: 1984

No Surrender Lyrics

Well, we bursted out of class
Had to get away from those fools
We learned more from a three-minute record, baby
Than we ever learned in school
Tonight I hear the neighborhood drummer sound
I can feel my heart begin to pound
You say you're tired and you just want to close your eyes
And follow your dreams down

[Chorus:]
Well, we made a promise we swore we'd always remember
No retreat, baby, No Surrender
Like soldiers in the winter's night
With a vow to defend
No retreat, baby, no surrender

Well, now young faces grow sad and old
And hearts of fire grow cold
We swore blood brothers against the wind
Now I'm ready to grow young again
And hear your sister's voice calling us home
Across the open yards
Well maybe we'll cut someplace of own
With these drums and these guitars

'Cause we made a promise we swore we'd always remember
No retreat, baby, no surrender
Blood brothers in the stormy night
With a vow to defend
No retreat, baby, no surrender

Now on the street tonight the lights grow dim
The walls of my room are closing in
There's a war outside still raging
You say it ain't ours anymore to win
I want to sleep beneath
Peaceful skies in my lover's bed
With a wide open country in my eyes
And these romantic dreams in my head

Once we made a promise we swore we'd always remember
No retreat, baby, no surrender
Blood brothers in a stormy night
With a vow to defend
No retreat, baby, no surrender

Ohhhhh Ohhhhh Ohhhhh
Ohhhhh Ohhhhh Ohhhhh
Ohhhhh Ohhhhh Ohhhhh
Ohhhhh Ohhhhh Ohhhhh

Writer/s: CLIFF, JIMMY
Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

No Surrender Song Chart

Springsteen wrote this about the inspirational power of rock music. It came to represent his friendship with members of his band.

This was the last song chosen for the album. E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt had to convince Springsteen to put it on. Van Zandt had left the band, but remained close to Springsteen and would eventually play with him again.

The original title was "Brothers Under The Bridges."

Part of the chorus provided the title for Jean-Claude Van Damme's first movie, No Retreat, No Surrender.

Springsteen often performed a slower version of this at concerts. The version on the box set Live 1975-1985 is a slower, solo performance.

Taylor Swift scrawled a lyric from this song on her arm for a live show. She wrote: "We learned more from a three-minute record than we ever learned in school."

Bruce Springsteen - Downbound Train

Bruce Springsteen - Downbound Train Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Born In The U.S.A.
Released: 1984

Downbound Train Lyrics

Downbound Train Song Chart

Springsteen originally recorded this as an acoustic demo in 1982 along with the first version of "Born In The U.S.A." and most of the songs that would make up Nebraska.

This was one of about 70 songs Springsteen had to choose from for Born In The U.S.A.

This was the only song not on Nebraska covered on Badlands: A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska. It was performed by Raul Malo of The Mavericks.

Bruce Springsteen - Darlington County

Bruce Springsteen - Darlington County Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Born In The U.S.A.
Released: 1984

Darlington County Lyrics

Darlington County Song Chart

This was first recorded in May 1982, but was not released until Born In The U.S.A. was finished in 1984. Springsteen had written about 70 songs for the album, and this was one of the few that made it.

This is one of Springsteen's story songs, complete with interesting working-class characters and a road trip. It tells the story of two guys who head out of New York City looking for work in Darlington County, South Carolina. They don't find work but they do find trouble, as one of them ends up getting arrested.

Springsteen originally wrote this for his 1978 album Darkness On The Edge Of Town, but it didn't make the cut.

Bruce Springsteen - Born In The U.S.A.

Bruce Springsteen - Born In The U.S.A. Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Born In The U.S.A.
Released: 1984

Born In The U.S.A. Lyrics

Born In The U.S.A. Song Chart

Springsteen wrote this about the problems Vietnam veterans encountered when they returned to America. Vietnam was the first war the US didn't win, and while veterans of other wars received a hero's welcome, those who fought in Vietnam were mostly ignored when they returned to the states.

The original title was "Vietnam." The director Paul Schrader sent Springsteen a script for a movie called Born In The U.S.A., about a rock band struggling with life and religion. This gave Bruce the idea for the new title. Unfortunately for Schrader, when he was finally ready to make the movie in 1985, the title "Born In The U.S.A." was too associated with the song. Springsteen helped him out however, providing the song "Light Of Day," which became the new title for Schrader's movie and the feature song in the film.

This is one of the most misinterpreted songs ever. Most people thought it was a patriotic song about American pride, when it actually cast a shameful eye on how America treated its Vietnam veterans. Springsteen considers it one of his best songs, but it bothers him that it is so widely misinterpreted. With the rollicking rhythm, enthusiastic chorus, and patriotic album cover, it is easy to think this has more to do with American pride than Vietnam shame.

This is the first song and title track to one of the most popular albums ever - Born In The U.S.A. sold over 18 million copies. The single was released in England as a double A-side with "I'm On Fire."
It was the first song Springsteen wrote for the album. He first recorded it on January 3, 1982 on the tape that became his album Nebraska later that year.

While campaigning in New Jersey in 1984, Ronald Reagan said in his speech: "America's future rests in a thousand dreams inside your hearts. It rests in the message of hope in songs so many young Americans admire: New Jersey's own Bruce Springsteen. And helping you make those dreams come true is what this job of mine is all about."

Springsteen talked about this in a 2005 interview with National Public Radio. Said Bruce: "This was when the Republicans first mastered the art of co-opting anything and everything that seemed fundamentally American, and if you were on the other side, you were somehow unpatriotic. I make American music, and I write about the place I live and who I am in my lifetime. Those are the things I'm going to struggle for and fight for."
Speaking of how the song was misinterpreted, he added: "In my songs, the spiritual part, the hope part is in the choruses. The blues, and your daily realities are in the details of the verses. The spiritual comes out in the choruses, which I got from Gospel music and the church."

Chrysler offered Springsteen $12 million to use this in an ad campaign with Bruce. Springsteen turned them down so they used "The Pride Is Back" by Kenny Rogers instead. Springsteen has never let his music be used to sell products.

This song inspired the famous Annie Leibowitz photo of Springsteen's butt against the backdrop of an American flag. Bruce had to be convinced to use it as the album's cover. Some people thought it depicted Springsteen urinating on the flag.
Looking back on the cover in a 1996 interview with NME, Springsteen said: "I was probably working out my own insecurities, y'know? That particular image is probably the only time I look back over pictures of the band and it feels like a caricature to me."

According to Max Weinberg, Bruce attempted to do the song in a rockabilly trio style, with a country beat.

The drum solo towards the end of the song was completely improvised. Drummer Max Weinberg said that the band was recording in an oval-shaped studio, with the musicians separated into different parts. Springsteen, at the front, suddenly turned towards Weinberg (at the back) after singing and waved his hands in the air frantically to signal drumming. Weinberg then nailed it.

Eight minutes were cut from the song, which Max Weinberg said went on into a psychedelic jam. (thanks, Marshall - Sacramento, CA, for above 3)

Bruce performed solo, acoustic versions on his tours in 1996 and 1999. He wanted to make sure the audience understood the song.

Springsteen allowed notorious rap group The 2 Live Crew to sample this for their song "Banned In The U.S.A." in 1990, after the group was arrested for performing songs with obscene lyrics. Bruce felt they had a constitutional right to say whatever they wanted in their songs.

This was recorded live in the studio in three takes.

Richard "Cheech" Marin parodied this in the song "Born In East L.A.," which came from his 1987 movie of the same name. Sample lyrics:
"Next thing I know, I'm in a foreign land
People talkin' so fast, I couldn't understand." (thanks, Margaret - Buellton, CA)

Born In The U.S.A. was the first CD manufactured in the United States for commercial release. It was pressed when CBS Records opened its CD manufacturing plant in Terre Haute, Indiana in 1984. Discs previously had been imported from Japan.

The children's TV show Sesame Street reworked this as "Barn In The U.S.A.," credited to Bruce Stringbean and the S. Street Band. Check out the album cover in Song Images. (thanks, Bertrand - Paris, France, for above 2)

Springsteen's fist-pumping recitations of this lament for the plight of the Vietnam War veterans during his 1984-85 Born In The USA tour contributed to its mis-reading as a patriotic song by US right-wingers. Critic Greil Marcus wrote: "Clearly the key to the enormous explosion of Bruce's popularity is the misunderstanding… He is a tribute to the fact that people hear what they want to hear."

The video was directed by John Sayles, who wrote the screenplay for the 1978 movie Piranha and later directed the films Lone Star, Honeydripper and Eight Men Out . Most of the video is footage of Springsteen performing the song in concert - he wore the same outfit for a few consecutive shows so Sayles could get the shots (Springsteen didn't want to lip-synch). Other footage came from a Vietnamese neighborhood in Los Angeles and Springsteen's old stomping ground, Asbury Park, New Jersey. The video stuck to the true meaning of the song, with shots of factory workers, regular folks walking the streets, soldiers training for combat, and a line of guys waiting for payday loans. Sayles said in the book I Want My MTV: "It was right around the time that Ronald Reagan had co-opted 'Born In The U.S.A.' and Reagan, his policies were everything that the song was complaining about. I think some of the energy of the performance came from Bruce deciding, 'I'm going to claim this song back from Reagan.'"

This was not the first hit song to tell a story about a Vietnam veteran's return to America. In 1982, The Charlie Daniels Band took "Still in Saigon" to #22 in America. That song was written by Dan Daley, who felt that only two artists were right for it. "Since it was such a political song, the strategy was there were only two artists that it would make sense to give it to," Daley told us . "One was Bruce Springsteen and the other was Charlie Daniels. Because both had made public statements in support of Vietnam veterans."