Darkness on the Edge of Town

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John Steinbeck 1939 (cropped).jpg
Hank Williams Promotional Photo.jpg
The novels of John Steinbeck (left, 1939) and music of Hank Williams (right, 1948) influenced Springsteen when writing the album.

When writing the album's songs, Springsteen was particularly influenced by works of fiction that focused on individuals confronted by adversity; these included the John Steinbeck novels The Grapes of Wrath (1939) and East of Eden (1952) and their respective film adaptations directed by John Ford and Elia Kazan; westerns such as Ford's The Searchers (1956); and the songs of country/folk artists Hank Williams and Woody Guthrie. Springsteen also took note of rising British punk rock acts the Sex Pistols and the Clash, and new wave artists such as Elvis Costello. [h] Springsteen wanted a "leaner" and "angrier" sound compared to Born to Run. [11] He explained in his 2003 book Songs: "That sound wouldn't suit these songs or the people I was now writing about." [38]

The resulting Darkness on the Edge of Town is a less commercial record that emphasized the band as a whole and moved away from the Wall of Sound production of its predecessor. Springsteen favored guitar solos and limited Clemons' saxophone solos, which appear on only three of the ten tracks. [i] Several songs emphasize choruses more than songs on earlier records, particularly "Badlands", "Prove It All Night", and "The Promised Land", while the verses are more anthemic than poetic. Springsteen's vocal style is also more meditative and less passionate on tracks such as "Racing in the Street", "Factory", and "Darkness on the Edge of Town". [37] Reviewers have noted that every song on side one of the original LP has a corresponding track on side two in the same sequence: "Badlands" and "The Promised Land" concern America and perceived hope, while "Adam Raised a Cain" and "Factory" concern father-son relationships. [20] [40]

The record was of its time. We had the late-'70s recession, punk music had just come out, times were tough for a lot of the people I knew. And so, I veered away from great bar band music or great singles music and veered towards music that I felt would speak of people's life experiences. [12]

—Bruce Springsteen, 2010

Margotin and Guesdon state that Darkness is "driven by raw energy and the immediacy of rock 'n' roll". [11] Writer Rob Kirkpatrick, who regarded it as Springsteen's "fiercest" record up to that point, said that with Darkness, Springsteen left R&B behind for 1970s hard rock. [37] Author Marc Dolan said in his 2012 book Bruce Springsteen and the Promise of Rock 'n' Roll that the music was "whiter" than Springsteen's second album, The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle (1973), but that Springsteen evoked 1960s black singing styles, such as James Brown on "Badlands" and Solomon Burke and Sam Moore on "Streets of Fire". [14] Michael Hand of The Quietus described the album as heartland rock. [41]

According to a 2019 essay by scholars Kenneth Womack and Eileen Chapman, Darkness saw Springsteen "drive away from the beach and boardwalk and into the ethos of the American heartland". [42] Containing older and more mature characters than Born to Run, the songs on Darkness focus on ill-fortuned people who fight back against overwhelming odds; [11] [43] they are frustrated and angry at their inability to achieve better lives. [44] Images of labor, class and class resentment, and troubled relationships with fathers, amongst various religious references, are featured throughout. [14] [37] A 2008 analysis by Larry David Smith and Jon Rutter splits the album into three acts that describe "a tale of socioeconomic struggle and submission": the first details the characters' situations ("Badlands" to "Something in the Night"), the second concerns their struggles and search for hope ("Candy's Room" to "The Promised Land"), and the third finds them facing the consequences they must endure to succeed ("Factory" to "Prove It All Night"); "Darkness on the Edge of Town" acts as an epilogue, in which "Springsteen seals his narrative deal". [45]

Whereas Springsteen's previous albums were mostly set in and around the Jersey Shore area, the majority of Darkness is less characterized by a specific place and refers to other parts of the United States, from the generic American landscape to the Utah desert and Louisiana towns; although "Something in the Night" and "Racing in the Street" still take place around "the Circuit", a loop formed by Kingsley and Ocean Avenues, west of the boardwalk in Asbury Park. [14] [37] Springsteen later referred to the album in his 2016 autobiography as "my samurai record, all stripped down for fighting". [46]

Side one

The album opens with "Badlands", a loud, anthemic rock song whose lyrics reflect a determination to succeed against oppression. [23] [47] The lyrics warn against wasting time and suffering through "badlands" until they "start treating us good". [37] The autobiographical "Adam Raised a Cain" uses biblical references to portray a difficult father-son relationship, in which the son pays for the sins of the father. [26] [37] [47] Musically, it is a punk-influenced rock track driven by a heavy drumbeat and a riff played simultaneously by the guitars, bass, piano, and organ. [26] Author Peter Ames Carlin describes it as "tense, heavy-footed blues". [48] "Something in the Night" is a slower-paced song with dark lyrics about soul-searching in a car. [47] [49] Thematically offering a post-Born to Run perspective, [48] depicting a moment where an individual's dreams are halted, [50] Springsteen reminds the listener that once someone has "something" it can easily be taken away. [37]

Described by Hann as the album's "most musically violent moment", [41] "Candy's Room" is a punk-influenced work led by drums. [51] Lyrically, it is a fantasy song in which suitors trade exquisite gifts for the title subject's affection. [37] [47] Artist Karon Bihari, whom Springsteen briefly dated in the 1970s, claimed the song was about her. [51] "Racing in the Street" is a somber song with a melancholic stripped-down piano backing, with the rest of the instruments joining in over the course of the piece. [16] [50] Telling the story of a man who will not let the bleakness of life ruin his love for car racing, [47] its characters resemble those of Born to Run's "Thunder Road", albeit two or three years later. Author Marc Dolan states that the song's themes are essential to the album, when the final verse states that individualistic efforts to succeed may be inadequate and ultimately lead to failure. [52]

Side two

"The Promised Land" is a country rock song with influences ranging from Van Morrison and Bob Dylan, to the Beatles and Hank Williams. Optimistic in tone, the narrator keeps his faith and strives for a "promised land" no matter what obstacles lie ahead. [35] [50] Springsteen has said the song asks the question: "How do we honor the community and the place we came from?" [11] "Factory" provides commentary on the repetitive aspects of the working life, [53] depicting a factory-worker father, whose life is consumed by his job, but who works to provide for his family. [37] A partial tribute to his father, [53] Springsteen has said the song asks the question: "How do we honor the life that our brothers or sisters and parents lived?" [11] "Factory" is a rock and country-influenced ballad. [48] [53]

"Streets of Fire" is a portrait of an outcast who has abandoned everything in order to defeat his inner demons. Musically, this slow rock song features both quiet and loud sections; Margotin and Guesdon note Springsteen's vocal performance for its "powerful intensity", being "on the verge of breaking". [48] [54] "Prove It All Night" follows a couple who are about to get married. [55] The song's narrator tells the woman he loves to set aside her dreams and use determination to face the challenges that confront them as a couple. [37] [50] It is an up-tempo rocker that builds in intensity. [56] The final track, "Darkness on the Edge of Town", represents a unification of the album's themes of lost love, hardships, and betrayal. [47] The narrator stands alone, has suffered misfortune and lost everything, but refuses to give up and stands tall. [27] [50] [57] Springsteen later said: "By the end of Darkness, I'd found my adult voice". [38] Primarily led by piano, the other instruments join in over the course of the song. [27]

Cover artwork

The cover shot and inner sleeve photographs for Darkness on the Edge of Town were taken by then-unknown photographer Frank Stefanko inside his home in Haddonfield, New Jersey. [11] Stefanko, introduced to Springsteen by Patti Smith, [12] had not yet heard the album when the photo was taken and took the photos based on his perception of what Springsteen wanted. [58] In an interview with Entertainment Weekly in 2018, Stefanko said that his concept was to shoot Springsteen "as the young man that was standing in front of me." [59] On the cover, Springsteen appears as a tired man, hands in his jacket pockets, standing in a floral wallpaper-covered bedroom. Reviewers have acknowledged Springsteen's look as a physical manifestation of the album's songs and themes. [11] [12] [59] Springsteen himself recalled, "When I saw the picture I said, 'That's the guy in the songs.' I wanted the part of me that's still that guy to be on the cover. Frank stripped away all your celebrity and left you with your essence. That's what that record was about." [12] Stefanko felt the cover portrayed a sense of timelessness that resonated with listeners both on its release and in subsequent decades. [59] On the back cover, Springsteen appears without the jacket alongside the titles of the ten songs. [11] The packaging was designed by Andrea Klein. [33]

Release

Darkness on the Edge of Town was released on June 2, 1978, [40] nearly three years after Born to Run. [11] [50] Its release coincided with new albums by the Rolling Stones ( Some Girls ), Bob Seger ( Stranger in Town ), and Foreigner ( Double Vision ). [24] Columbia Records promoted the album minimally at Springsteen's request; [11] [60] following the media backlash of Born to Run and having gained full artistic control of his work, Springsteen initially wanted zero publicity for Darkness, eventually allowing Columbia to promote it in select U.S. locations. [33] Despite being highly anticipated, the album sold less than its predecessor, [61] but still reached number five on the U.S. Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart. It remained on the chart for 167 weeks, selling more than three million copies. [11] [13] In the U.K., it charted at number 14. [62]

The album's singles were moderate hits according to the pop culture scholar Gillian G. Gaar. [13] The first single, "Prove It All Night" with "Factory" as the B-side, was released on May 23, 1978, [63] and extensively promoted by U.S. radio stations, reaching number 33 on the Billboard Hot 100. [55] "Badlands" was released as the second single on July 21, [64] and charted at number 42. [j] [13] "The Promised Land", backed by "Streets of Fire", was released on October 13, [66] [67] in the UK and Ireland and failed to chart. [35] Due to the album's dwindling commercial performance, Springsteen conducted an interview discussing the album and upcoming tour with Dave Marsh of Rolling Stone , in hopes of increasing publicity; he also hired Landau as his manager to assist in the campaign. [24] A billboard promoting Darkness was commissioned on Los Angeles's Sunset Boulevard, which Springsteen himself defaced on July 4. [24]

Springsteen and the E Street Band embarked on the Darkness Tour, which ran from May 23, 1978, to January 1, 1979. [11] Over 112 concerts, the band played 74 different songs. The setlists consisted of several songs from the Darkness sessions; songs that had yet to appear on a studio record, including "Fire", "Because the Night", and "The Fever", were regularly played and became fan favorites. [68] It was also the artist's largest tour up to that point. The band sold out stadiums and played shows upwards of three hours in length. [36] [69] The tour attracted critical acclaim. Dolan called it "one of the most legendary tours" in rock history, [68] while the staff of Ultimate Classic Rock said the tour solidified Springsteen and the E Street Band as "one of the most exciting live acts in rock 'n' roll". [40] Two months after the tour's end, recording commenced for Springsteen's next album, The River. [69]

Critical reception

Contemporary reviews

Darkness on the Edge of Town
BruceSpringsteenDarknessontheEdgeofTown.jpg
Studio album by
Bruce Springsteen
ReleasedJune 2, 1978 (1978-06-02)
RecordedJune 1977 – March 1978
Studio Atlantic and Record Plant (New York City)
Genre
Length42:29
Label Columbia
Producer
Bruce Springsteen chronology
Born to Run
(1975)		Darkness on the Edge of Town
(1978)		 The River
(1980)
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band chronology
Born to Run
(1975)		Darkness on the Edge of Town
(1978)		 The River
(1980)
Professional ratings
Initial reviews
Review scores
SourceRating
The Philadelphia Inquirer Star full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [70]
Record Mirror Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [71]
The Rolling Stone Record Guide
(1979, 1st ed.)
Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [72]
The New Rolling Stone Record Guide(1983, 2nd ed.)Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [73]
The Village Voice B+ [74]

Darkness on the Edge of Town was met with generally favorable reviews on release. [36] According to the journalist Eric Alterman, critics who enjoyed Born to Run also liked Darkness, but "not as passionately or perhaps as innocently". [75] Several recognized the differences in production between the two records in both positive and negative lights. [60] [76] [77] [78] Peter Silverton of Sounds magazine felt the production on Darkness displayed "the ill effects" of taking too much time to record, and in general, felt Darkness showed little advancement over Born to Run, with inferior songs and "only a fraction of the vitality". [79] ZigZag magazine's John Tobler argued the production made the record "sound like it belongs in another time and another place". [80] More positively, Robert Hilburn of Los Angeles Times said that Darkness "blends the rousing musical splendor and passionate, uplifting themes of Born to Run with even stronger production touches and a more consistent, probing group of songs". [78] A few believed the album improved with repeated listens. [76] [81]

The music and performances of the E Street Band and Springsteen were well received. Some felt the production allowed Springsteen's voice to shine clearer. [k] The Boston Globe 's Ernie Santosuosso said that the production exposed "a remarkably malleable voice" in Springsteen, recognized a "broader musical scope and dimension" than Springsteen's previous records, and praised his guitar work. [82] Critics were divided on the lyrical content. Some felt the songs were overly serious, bleak, and not as uplifting as those on Born to Run. [l] [83] Others enjoyed the evolution in themes from prior records. [84] Hilburn said Darkness takes the lyrical themes of its predecessor and "zeroes in more deeply and productively on the key questions" raised on that record. [78] In The Village Voice , Robert Christgau commented on the narratives and the characters on "Badlands", "Adam Raised a Cain", and "Promised Land", writing that they showcased "how a limited genre can illuminate a mature, full-bodied philosophical insight". He deemed other songs, naming "Streets of Fire" and "Something in the Night", more impressionistic and overblown, revealing Springsteen to be either "an important minor artist or a very flawed and inconsistent major one". [74]

In Rolling Stone, Marsh hailed Darkness as a landmark rock and roll record that would one day be viewed in the same vein as records such as Jimi Hendrix's Are You Experienced (1967), Van Morrison's Astral Weeks (1968), and the Who's Who's Next (1971). Marsh remarked that the subject matter of the songs fulfilled the hype that surrounded Springsteen. [85] In NME , Paul Rambali said that Darkness "walks a fine line between the outrageous claims made on Springsteen's behalf and his tendency towards a grandiose, epic feel that encouraged those claims in the first place". [60] Hilburn argued the album affirmed Springsteen as a seminal rock figure of the 1970s, equaling the magnitude of Elvis Presley and the Rolling Stones. [78]

Darkness placed on several lists of the best albums of 1978, including at number one in NME. [86] It ranked number two in both Record Mirror and Rolling Stone, behind All Mod Cons by the Jam and Some Girls by the Rolling Stones, respectively. On Darkness, the latter magazine wrote: "Springsteen came back from the nether world with a dark, self-probing record that detailed the flip side of rock & roll exhilaration with unflinching honesty." [87] [88] In Sounds, Darkness placed at number three, behind The Scream by Siouxsie and the Banshees and Give 'Em Enough Rope by the Clash. [89]

Retrospective reviews and legacy

Professional ratings
Retrospective reviews
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [61]
American Songwriter Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [90]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [91]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [92]
MusicHound Rock Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [93]
New Musical Express 8/10 [94]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [95]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide
(1992, 3rd ed.)
Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [96]
(The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide
(2004, 4th ed.)
Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [97]

Darkness on the Edge of Town has become widely regarded as one of Springsteen's finest works, [98] [99] [100] with some considering it his best. [47] [101] [102] [103] Reviewers have recognized Darkness as a harbinger for Springsteen's later career, forming the basis of his songwriting for the next decade, and foreshadowing efforts like Nebraska (1982) and The Ghost of Tom Joad (1995). [36] [40] [61] Some said the album embodies both Springsteen himself and the everyman appeal he stands for. [20] [39] The Guardian 's Keith Cameron argued that the album "remains the bedrock of both the ... Springsteen legend and the ethical code by which he continues to abide". [12]

Critics have called Darkness a timeless classic that speaks to wide-ranging audiences. [11] [47] [104] Entertainment Weekly 's Sarah Sahim commended the combination of the raw music with the harsh details of universal life experiences, describing Darkness as an album "dedicated to the underdog", and the underdog in Springsteen's discography. [59] Brian Kachejian of Classic Rock History argued that the brilliance lies "not in the dark picture that Springsteen had painted about his life experiences, [but] in the small glimmers of hope that resounded in many of the songs". [47] Other critics highlighted Springsteen's growing maturity, and praised the more accessible lyrics. [m]

Darkness has continued to attract some mixed assessments. Music writers such as Colin Larkin and Gary Graff have criticized the album as being "anticlimactic" and for having "criminally flat" production, respectively. [106] [93] Kirkpatrick opines that while one of Springsteen's best, Darkness suffers from comparisons to Born to Run, as well as from "occasional slow moments" like "Racing in the Street". [36] For critic Steven Hyden, the album "sounds like a record designed by a rock critic [Landau]", and suffers from "cynical" songs that are "generally weighed down by undercurrents of depression and severe daddy issues". Nevertheless, he named Darkness his favorite Springsteen record, and one that is "the first, best example of Springsteen juxtaposing rousing rock music with miniaturist, miserabilist, Middle American storytelling". [107]

Rankings

Darkness on the Edge of Town has appeared on numerous best-of lists. In the opinion of Pitchfork 's Mark Richardson, it "ranks with rock's classic albums". [108] In 1987, a panel of rock critics and music broadcasters polled for Paul Gambaccini's The Top 100 Rock 'n' Roll Albums of All Time, placed Darkness at number 59. [109] In 2003, it was ranked at number 150 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, [110] rising to number 91 in a 2020 revision. [111] In 2013, the album was ranked 109th in a similar list by NME. [112] In a 2020 list compiling the 70 best albums of the 1970s, Paste placed Darkness at number 30. [113] The album was also included in the 2018 edition of Robert Dimery's book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die . [114]

Reissues

Professional ratings
The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story
Review scores
SourceRating
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [115]
Pitchfork 9.5/10 [108]
Record Collector Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [116]

Darkness on the Edge of Town was first released on CD in 1984. [117] Additional CD reissues followed in 1990, [118] and by Sony BMG in 2008. [117] On November 16, 2010, the album was reissued as an expanded six-disc box set, [31] [119] including three CDs and three DVD or Blu-ray discs. This contains a remastered version of the original album, a new two-CD album titled The Promise , containing 21 previously unreleased outtakes from the Darkness sessions, two live performance DVDs, and a "making of" documentary titled The Promise: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town. [119] [120] [121] The documentary was directed by Thom Zimny and features archival footage from the recording sessions and live performances from the era by Barry Rebo. [120]

The deluxe box set contains an 80-page spiral-bound reproduction of Springsteen's original notebooks documenting the original recording sessions containing alternate lyrics, song ideas, recording details, and personal notes. [120] [121] The box was well received by critics [104] [115] [120] and won the Grammy Award for Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards in 2012. [122]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Bruce Springsteen. [123]

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Badlands"4:01
2."Adam Raised a Cain"4:32
3."Something in the Night"5:12
4."Candy's Room"2:45
5."Racing in the Street"6:52
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."The Promised Land"4:24
2."Factory"2:17
3."Streets of Fire"4:03
4."Prove It All Night"3:57
5."Darkness on the Edge of Town"4:28
Total length:42:29

Personnel

According to the liner notes, [123] except where noted.

The E Street Band

Technical

Charts

Chart performance for Darkness on the Edge of Town
Chart (1978)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [124] 9
Canadian Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [125] 7
Irish Albums (IRMA) [126] 73
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [127] 4
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [128] 11
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [117] 12
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [129] 9
U.K. Albums Chart (OCC) [130] 14
U.S. Billboard Top LPs & Tape [131] 5
Chart (1985)Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Top Pop Albums [132] 167

Certifications

Sales and certifications for Darkness on the Edge of Town
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [133] Platinum70,000^
Canada (Music Canada) [134] Platinum100,000^
France—50,000 [135]
Germany—100,000 [136]
Italy—100,000 [137]
Netherlands (NVPI) [138] Gold50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [139] Gold100,000^
United States (RIAA) [140] 3× Platinum3,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Notes

  1. ↑ Springsteen appeared on the covers of Time and Newsweek magazines in the same week – October 27, 1975. [3] Time's article analyzed Springsteen as an artist, while Newsweek's focused on Springsteen's media hype. [4]
  2. ↑ Springsteen could not record in a studio without a producer approved by Appel. [11]
  3. ↑ In 1983, Appel sold his share back to Springsteen, giving Springsteen full ownership of his own music. [11]
  4. ↑ Authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon say that all songs except "Something in the Night" were recorded at the Record Plant. [11]
  5. ↑ The mockup sleeve featured Springsteen on the front and Clemons on the back, both wearing all black attire. [22]
  6. ↑ The Pointer Sisters recorded the song in 1979, which reached number 2 in the US. [29]
  7. ↑ Plotkin was brought back to mix and coproduce subsequent albums. [11]
  8. ↑ Attributed to multiple references: [11] [12] [13] [37]
  9. ↑ Attributed to multiple references: [14] [18] [26] [39]
  10. ↑ The B-side was "Streets of Fire", "Something in the Night", or "Candy's Room", depending on the country of release. [65]
  11. ↑ Attributed to multiple references: [70] [76] [77] [78]
  12. ↑ Attributed to multiple references: [71] [77] [79] [81]
  13. ↑ Attributed to multiple references: [40] [41] [47] [103] [105]

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"Night" is a song by Bruce Springsteen which first appeared on the Born to Run album in 1975. Although this is one of the lesser known songs from Born to Run, "Night" has become somewhat of a stage favorite for the E Street Band. The song was not immediately played during the 1975 portions of the Born to Run Tour, but later became a frequent set-opener, especially during the 1976 and 1977 legs. It was still sometimes being used as an opening song decades later during the 2007–2008 Magic Tour.

"Independence Day" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen. It was originally released on his fifth album, The River, in 1980. It was recorded at The Power Station in New York, on April 24–25, 1980.

"Racing in the Street" is a song by Bruce Springsteen from his 1978 album Darkness on the Edge of Town. In the original vinyl format, it was the last song of side one of the album. The song has been called Springsteen's best song by several commentators, including the authors of The New Rolling Stone Album Guide.

"Adam Raised a Cain" is the second track from Bruce Springsteen's fourth album Darkness on the Edge of Town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Promised Land (Bruce Springsteen song)</span> 1978 single by Bruce Springsteen

"The Promised Land" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen from his 1978 album Darkness on the Edge of Town. It was released as a single in the United Kingdom, backed by another song from Darkness on the Edge of Town, "Streets of Fire", the third single from the album after "Badlands" and "Prove It All Night". "The Promised Land" was also included on the compilation album The Essential Bruce Springsteen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Point Blank (Bruce Springsteen song)</span> 1981 single by Bruce Springsteen

"Point Blank" is a song written by Bruce Springsteen and first released on Springsteen's 1980 album The River. In Europe, it was also released as a single in 1981, backed by another song from The River, "Ramrod". Although it was not released as a single in the US, it did reach #20 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sherry Darling</span> 1981 single by Bruce Springsteen

"Sherry Darling" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen from his fifth studio album The River. Originally written for his previous album, 1978's Darkness on the Edge of Town, the song was rejected for not fitting that album's somber tone. The song's frat crowd noises were meant to evoke early rock and roll songs like "Louie, Louie," which similarly had loud incidental crowd noises.

"Darkness on the Edge of Town" is the last song on the 1978 album of the same name, Darkness on the Edge of Town, by Bruce Springsteen. It was the last song recorded and mixed, and in April 1978 it was designated the title song to a thematic album whose songs portray the struggles of the less-fortunate, not only to survive, but to keep their spirit and will to live. The title track portrays a hard-luck loser in life who refuses to give up. Springsteen's fourth album, released three years after his 1975 effort Born to Run, was delayed two years because of legal problems with his former manager, Mike Appel. Expectations were high after he took one year to complete the album.

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