ARTIST: Bruce Springsteen | ALBUM: born to run | RELEASED: 1975
Hello rock n' rollers, I'm back after a while with another one of my favorite rock songs, "Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen. The title track of Springsteen's third studio album is about leaving his hometown in hopes of a better future.
Springsteen was born in Long Branch, New Jersey and raised in nearby Freehold Borough. Apparently Freehold had been a really boring place until Springsteen made it popular with this song. Written by Springsteen himself, lyrical themes of the song touches on some of his personal aspects like loneliness, adversity, love and adventurousness.
Since its release as a single, the song has been a hit on rock radio. Springsteen's mainstream success that followed, and still enjoys today, can easily be attributed to the appeal of "Born to Run." It's a fan favorite, and accordingly, been a fixture of his live concerts since 1975.
Analysis of lyrics:
First verse introduces the setting of the song to the audience. There is an easily-understandable references to Freehold, if not New Jersey, in that of "highway 9." It's noteworthy to state that, when
Born to Run was released, Springsteen wasn't the international rockstar that he's known to be today. He was in fact a regional star, struggling to gain mainstream success across the United States. So the song's intended audience was his hometown folks, and the Americans in general.
I'll continue to finish my analysis pretty soon, maybe over the weekend. Until then, take care.
In the day we sweat it out on the streets of a runaway American dream
At night we ride through the mansions of glory in suicide machines
Sprung from cages out on highway 9,
Chrome wheeled, fuel injected,and steppin' out over the line
h-Oh, Baby this town rips the bones from your back
It's a death trap, it's a suicide rap
We gotta get out while we're young
`Cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run
yes, girl we were
Wendy let me in I wanna be your friend
I want to guard your dreams and visions
Just wrap your legs 'round these velvet rims
and strap your hands 'cross my engines
Together we could break this trap
We'll run till we drop, baby we'll never go back
h-Oh, Will you walk with me out on the wire
`Cause baby I'm just a scared and lonely rider
But I gotta know how it feels
I want to know if love is wild
Babe I want to know if love is real
Oh, can you show me
Beyond the Palace hemi-powered drones scream down the boulevard
Girls comb their hair in rearview mirrors
And the boys try to look so hard
The amusement park rises bold and stark
Kids are huddled on the beach in a mist
I wanna die with you Wendy on the street tonight
In an everlasting kiss
1-2-3-4!
The highway's jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power drive
Everybody's out on the run tonight
but there's no place left to hide
Together Wendy we can live with the sadness
I'll love you with all the madness in my soul
h-Oh, Someday girl I don't know when
we're gonna get to that place
Where we really wanna go
and we'll walk in the sun
But till then tramps like us
baby we were born to run
Oh honey, tramps like us
baby we were born to run
Come on with me, tramps like us
baby we were born to run
Ru-uh-uh-un
Mm-mm-mm-mm
Uh-uh-uh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Ru-uh-uh-uh-un
Mm-mm-mm-mm
Whoa-oh-oh-oh
Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Ru-uh-uh-un
Lyrics from:
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/brucespringsteen/borntorun.html
