I'm Goin' Down

Last updated

"I'm Goin' Down"
ImGoinDownSingleCover.jpg
Single by Bruce Springsteen
from the album Born in the U.S.A.
B-side
  • "Janey, Don't You Lose Heart" (7-inch and 12-inch singles)
  • "Held Up Without a Gun" (12-inch single only)
ReleasedAugust 27, 1985 (1985-08-27)
RecordedMay 12–13, 1982
Studio Power Station, New York City
Genre Rock
Length3:29
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s) Bruce Springsteen
Producer(s)
Bruce Springsteen singles chronology
"Glory Days"
(1985)
"I'm Goin' Down"
(1985)
"My Hometown"
(1985)

"I'm Goin' Down" is a rock song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen. It was released on August 27, 1985 by Columbia Records as the sixth single from his 1984 album Born in the U.S.A. The song was recorded with the E Street Band in May 1982 at Power Station studio in New York City, and co-produced by Springsteen, Jon Landau, Chuck Plotkin, and Steve Van Zandt. Although Springsteen had changing ideas about the songs to put on the album, "I'm Goin' Down" was ultimately selected for inclusion.

Contents

The recording is based on an energetic band performance that gives prominence to a heavy drum sound. The lyrics focus on sexual frustration in a deteriorating relationship. The single reached No. 9 on both Billboard and the top 30 in Sweden, Italy, and Canada. On the album's release, it was praised by critics for the band's musicianship and Springsteen's vocals and lyrics. Later it received favorable rankings in retrospectives of Springsteen's career, among which was an NME list calling it his fourth best song.

Springsteen has not often performed the song since the Born in the U.S.A. Tour. Between 2002 and 2023, it appeared on about 6.5 percent of the set lists published on his official website. "I'm Goin' Down" has been covered by Frank Black and the Catholics, Trampled by Turtles, Free Energy, Vampire Weekend, and other artists.

Background and recording

Springsteen performing in Drammen, Norway in 1981 Springsteen 05051981 01 200.jpg
Springsteen performing in Drammen, Norway in 1981

Bruce Springsteen's fifth album, The River , was released in October 1980 and reached No. 1 in the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart. [1] His follow-up, Nebraska , began as a series of solo demo recordings, of which fifteen songs were mixed onto a cassette on January 3, 1982. [2] [3] That April, he began recording sessions at the Power Station music studio in New York City with the E Street Band [4] [5] —whose line-up then consisted of Roy Bittan, Clarence Clemons, Danny Federici, Garry Tallent, Steve Van Zandt, and Max Weinberg—with production by Springsteen, Van Zandt, Jon Landau, and Chuck Plotkin. [6]

He at first recorded a number of full-band versions of Nebraska songs, including "Atlantic City", "Nebraska", and "Mansion on the Hill". [7] However, he and his co-producers were dissatisfied with the recordings. [7] To buy time to decide on the best approach for these songs, by May 1982 the band had begun to record other material he had written. [7] "I'm Goin' Down" was recorded over May 12–13, [6] [8] with Toby Scott as the audio engineer, and Billy Straus one of his assistants. [6] In 2012, Clinton Heylin wrote that throughout the ten recorded takes of the song, Springsteen let the band "vamp away, only to curtail them in the final mix". [8] Eventually, Springsteen released ten of the solo recordings from the January cassette as the Nebraska album, [9] which came out in September 1982, [10] and temporarily shelved "I'm Goin' Down" and other band tracks from May. [11] [n 1]

In 1983, he recorded more songs with the E Street Band, but was considering using solo tracks for his next album, which eventually became Born in the U.S.A. , as he had done for Nebraska. [15] By the following year, Landau and Plotkin had convinced Springsteen to release band tracks, including several from May 1982 and a number of subsequently recorded songs. [13] [16] At one point, Springsteen was not going to include "I'm Goin' Down" on Born in the U.S.A., but later added it in place of "Pink Cadillac", [17] [18] which he used as the B-side for "Dancing in the Dark". [18]

Music, lyrics, and themes

Music

A rock song, [20] "I'm Goin' Down" is described by Uncut contributor John Lewis as having a country music influence, and "sound[ing] in places like Johnny Cash". [21] For other critics, the song contains rockabilly elements. [22] [23] It begins with a short two-phrase guitar line, [6] followed by Weinberg's heavy drum beat, [19] one of the most prominent components in the song. [6] [23] Music biographers Jean-Michel Guesdon and Philippe Margotin have commented on Bob Clearmountain's "signature" mixing of the track that makes the snare drum sound "[crack] like a whip". [6] These instruments are supplemented by bass by Tallent, a Hammond B-3 organ part by Federici, and piano by Bittan. [6] The song additionally includes a tenor saxophone solo by Clemons, [6] [24] and hand-clapping by the band. [6] [20] The music is based on a descending chord progression of A ("I'm goin")–E ("down, down down")–Fm ("down, I'm goin")–D ("down"), [25] which is played throughout the track, while the bass guitar plays around the root of E. [26]

Lyrics and themes

Reviewers have commented on the contrast between the song's upbeat music and sad lyrics. [24] [27] [28] The song explores themes of sexual or romantic frustration, [29] [30] [31] loneliness, [29] and grief resulting from unsuccessful relationships. [20] [32] Some reviewers have found humor in the lyrics, [19] [30] which describe incidents such as the narrator's girlfriend rejecting his attempts at intimacy and sighing with boredom, as well as the couple returning home fighting after a date. [27] In concert, Springsteen has described "I'm Goin' Down" in jest as "one of my more insightful songs about men and women". [33] In live performances from 1984, he sometimes used variations of the following introduction for the song: "[First] you're making love to 'em all the time, three or four times a day. Then you come back a little bit later, and, uh-oh ... it's like 'Are you gonna make love to me tonight, or are we gonna wait for the full moon again', y'know?" [34] [35]

In researcher Pamela Moss's feminist analysis of social class and gender in Springsteen's lyrics, she describes the singer's early-to-mid-1980s oeuvre as being filled with despair. [36] Moss states that within this context, men fault women for not helping them achieve their dream of finding "a promised land". [37] In "I'm Goin' Down", with the "deterioration of a desirable sexual relationship [the narrator] feels he is being 'set up' by the woman just so she will be able to reject him". According to Moss, the man sees the woman's rejection as interference holding back his attempt at a "liberation of the tedium of a working class existence". [37]

Release and reception

Born in the U.S.A. was released on June 4, 1984 by Columbia Records, [38] and "I'm Goin' Down", the album's sixth single, [39] on August 27, 1985. [40] [41] The 7-inch single version includes B-side "Janey, Don't You Lose Heart", [42] while the 12-inch Maxi has "Janey, Don't You Lose Heart" and "Held Up Without a Gun". [43] [n 2] In the United States, "I'm Goin' Down" entered the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart on September 7, [54] and peaked at No. 9 on October 25. [55] It was one of a record-tying seven top 10 singles to be released from a single album. [n 3] It also charted in Canada, [56] Australia, [57] Italy, [58] Sweden, and Germany. [43] No music video was made for the song. [59] The track was additionally released on 12" Single Collection in 1985, [60] and The Album Collection Vol. 1 1973–1984 in 2014. [61] Writer Greg Kot has noted that despite the single's chart success, the song was not included on Springsteen's 1995 Greatest Hits compilation. [62]

Critics have praised the saxophone solo by E Street Band member Clarence Clemons. Clarence Clemons Nov 20, 2009.jpg
Critics have praised the saxophone solo by E Street Band member Clarence Clemons.

"I'm Goin' Down" was generally well received by critics at the time of the album's release. Some reviewers considered the song to be among the best on Born in the U.S.A., [23] [64] including Ken Tucker of The Philadelphia Inquirer , who called the track one of the "emotional centerpieces on the album, and perhaps [one of] the finest examples of Springsteen's songwriting to date". [64] The Morning Call 's Paul Willistein and The Cincinnati Enquirer 's Cliff Radel similarly commended the songwriting. [31] [65] Willistein wrote that the composition "evidences vulnerability, sensitivity and wisdom". [65] Among the musical components praised by critics were its percussion, [19] [66] vocals, [31] [66] and guitar, [66] as well as Clemons' saxophone solo. [63] The musicians' passion [23] and the song's fun energy [67] were other elements singled out by reviewers. Debbie Miller of Rolling Stone described the track as "wonderfully exuberant". [19] Sounds critic Sandy Robertson, reviewing a pre-release version of Born in the U.S.A. on which the title was listed as "Down Down Down", characterized the song as "a hit single if I ever heard one" and "the core that justifies most of the hype dumped on [Springsteen]". [66]

Some contemporary reviews were negative or neutral. The Vancouver Sun 's Ian Gill dismissed the track as "simply a concession to the zit set". [68] About the song's choice as the album's sixth single, critic Jan DeKnock called the release "the dud of the week" that was "an uninspired ... filler cut". [69] David Hinkley of New York's Daily News considered it an unexceptional song on which Springsteen did not add much that was new to its common theme. [70]

Live performances

Springsteen has played "I'm Goin' Down" infrequently since the end of the Born in the U.S.A. Tour. [33] For his tours between 2002 and 2023, many of the set lists have been published on his official website, Brucespringsteen.net. [71] [72] Of these, all of the singer's performances of the song are listed in the table below. [n 4]

Springsteen with a sign from an audience member requesting "I'm Goin' Down" on May 21, 2009 in East Rutherford I'mGoinDownMeadowlands052109.JPG
Springsteen with a sign from an audience member requesting "I'm Goin' Down" on May 21, 2009 in East Rutherford

Springsteen sometimes takes song requests at concerts by collecting signs from the audience, as he did for "I'm Goin' Down" on May 21, 2009 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, [73] [74] on February 27, 2016 in Rochester, New York, [75] and on August 2, 2008 in Foxborough, Massachusetts—where he introduced the song as "rarely played and even more rarely requested". [76] [77]

A number of music critics have mentioned how live versions differ from the Born in the U.S.A. version. [78] [79] Describing a performance of the song at an August 25, 1984 show in Landover, Maryland, critic Geoffrey Himes wrote that the "lean, synth-dominated album arrangement was supplanted by a full-tilt rock 'n' soul version". [79] Springsteen later admitted that the recorded version "had a swing ... we could never capture live". [80]

Legacy and cover versions

"I'm Goin' Down" has received various ratings in overviews that consider all of Springsteen's songs. A 2017 article in NME calls it the fourth greatest Springsteen song of all time. [92] A 2014 Rolling Stone article ranks "I'm Goin' Down" as the 52nd best Bruce Springsteen song ever, [33] and it is included in writer June Skinner Sawyer's Tougher Than the Rest: 100 Best Bruce Springsteen Songs. [27] By contrast, in Counting Down Bruce Springsteen: His 100 Finest Songs, Jim Beviglia puts "I'm Goin' Down" as the 131st best Springsteen track, [93] calling it "a fun but relatively minor" work. [94] A critic for NJ.com described it as the worst song of Born in the U.S.A., and placed it in the No. 164 position of 318 of the singer's works. [95] In 2015, Uncut rated the song four stars out of five. [96]

In the Billboard 2014 article "Bruce Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A. at 30: Classic Track-By-Track Album Review", Caryn Rose called it the album's "most underrated song" and "the kind of good-time party song that Springsteen and E Street do best, sliding easily through the verses with a ... bouncing rhythm ... and a fun, jumping end". [24] The song is likewise described favorably in "Born in the U.S.A. has stood the test of time", a 2002 overview in New Jersey's Daily Record newspaper. [28]

Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the eastern United States, Clear Channel Communications—the owner at the time of over 1000 radio stations [97] —issued a memorandum of songs to temporarily avoid playing, which included "I'm Goin' Down". [98] The list comprised songs that were "too dark ... [or referred] to crashes ... or death", [99] or that simply had "questionable" titles, [97] which might depress listeners grieving from the attacks. [99]

Various musicians have covered "I'm Goin' Down". In 1998, Frank Black and the Catholics—whose bandleader has expressed his admiration for the "brilliant ... structure" of Springsteen's recording [100] —included a version on their "Dog Gone" single, [101] and in 2015 on The Complete Recordings . [102] Rancid frontman Tim Armstrong put out a cover in 2012 as part of his Tim Timebomb and Friends collection, [103] while Dessa released a version on her 2013 album Parts of Speech . [104] [105] The following year, a recording with fiddles and banjos by bluegrass group Trampled by Turtles, who have frequently played "I'm Goin' Down" in concert, [106] appeared on the multi-artist compilation album Dead Man's Town: A Tribute to Born in the U.S.A. [107]

The band Vampire Weekend released versions of "I'm Goin' Down" in 2010 and 2019. Vampire Weekend Red Rocks 05.20.13.jpg
The band Vampire Weekend released versions of "I'm Goin' Down" in 2010 and 2019.

In September 2010, the online magazines Stereogum and Pitchfork noted how multiple bands had recently performed "I'm Goin' Down" in live settings within weeks of each other: [110] [111] Vampire Weekend played the song in concert in Vancouver and a few days later in early September on a radio show in Seattle, [112] while Free Energy and Titus Andronicus performed it together later that month in Atlanta on their joint tour. [111] Like Frank Black, members of Vampire Weekend have expressed their high regard for Springsteen's composition, among whom vocalist Ezra Koenig had previously listened to the song "constantly", [113] and bassist Chris Baio cited Springsteen's "incredible melodies, incredible lyrics" that led the band to think "it would be exciting to put our spin on" the song. [114] Free Energy and Vampire Weekend each released a recording of it on iTunes in 2010. [108] [115] Other releases include a Spotify single by Vampire Weekend in 2019. [109]

Formats and track listing

  1. "I'm Goin' Down" – 3:29
  2. "Janey, Don't You Lose Heart" – 3:23
  1. "I'm Goin' Down" – 3:29
  2. "Janey, Don't You Lose Heart" – 3:23
  3. "Held Up Without a Gun" – 1:15

Charts

Weekly chart performance for "I'm Goin' Down"
Chart (1985)Peak
position
Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart [57] 41
Canadian RPM Singles Chart [56] 23
German Gfk Singles Charts [43] 61
Italian Musica e Dischi Singles Chart [58] 20
Swedish Sverigetopplistan Singles Charts [43] 13
US Billboard Hot 100 [55] 9

Personnel

The personnel listed below participated in the recording of "I'm Goin' Down": [6]

Musicians:

Technical team:

Notes

  1. Other band tracks from May 1982 that were not immediately released included "Born in the U.S.A.", "Glory Days", "Downbound Train", "Darlington County", "Working on the Highway", "I'm on Fire", [12] [13] and "Cover Me". [14]
  2. Originally written for and rejected by Stevie Nicks, "Janey, Don't You Lose Heart" was recorded on June 16, 1983 at the Hit Factory, in New York City, [42] but features backing vocals by Nils Lofgren from a studio session in 1985. [44] It has been described as "a gentle, encouraging love song" that would not seem out of place on the country music charts, [45] and as a decidedly pop track with a pleasing chorus. [42] The song was later released on 12" Single Collection (1985), Tracks (1998), and 18 Tracks (1999). [46] Some reviewers have highlighted the value and collectible nature that non-album songs such as "Janey, Don't You Lose Heart", at the time only available on the single, represented for Springsteen fans. [47] [48] [49] [50]
    "Held Up Without a Gun" had also appeared as the B-side of "Hungry Heart" (1980), [48] and was released on The Ties That Bind: The River Collection (2015). [51] Sources list multiple recording dates in February and April 1980 for the song, [52] [53] which is 75 seconds in length, [52] and has a punk rock influence. [52] [53] It tells the story of a "rocker who is cheated by his cigar-chomping manager", [48] which some critics have interpreted as a likely reference to Springsteen's own struggles with his former manager Mike Appel of Laurel Canyon Productions. [49] [52]
  3. Michael Jackson's Thriller and Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 also each share this record. [24]
  4. This is based on set lists that were captured in archived versions of his website in November 2008 (for the 2002—2008 tours), May 2017 (for the 2009–2017 tours), and February 2024 (for the 2023 tour).

Footnotes

  1. Deming: The River
  2. Himes 2005 , p. 26
  3. Heylin 2012 , pp. 309–310
  4. Heylin 2012 , p. 315
  5. Marsh 1987 , pp. 113–114
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Guesdon 2020 , p. 246
  7. 1 2 3 Marsh 1987 , p. 115
  8. 1 2 Heylin 2012 , p. 489
  9. Marsh 1987 , pp. 120–121
  10. Ruhlmann: Nebraska
  11. Himes 2005 , p. 83
  12. Marsh 1987, pp. 116–118
  13. 1 2 100 Best Albums of the Eighties
  14. Heylin 2012, p. 480
  15. Marsh 1987 , pp. 157–158, 160–161, 164
  16. Marsh 1987 , pp. 167–171, 185
  17. Himes 2005 , p. 104
  18. 1 2 Marsh 1987 , p. 178
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 Miller 1984
  20. 1 2 3 Kishbaugh 1984 , p. 29
  21. Lewis 2015 , p. 62
  22. Fine 1984 , p. 18-F
  23. 1 2 3 4 Kaye 1984 , p. 15
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 Rose 2014
  25. "I'm Goin' Down" (Musicnotes.com)
  26. Doll 2017 , p. 116
  27. 1 2 3 Sawyer 2006 , p. 99
  28. 1 2 Cotter 2002 , p. B5
  29. 1 2 Sill 1984 , p. 2B
  30. 1 2 Bohen 1984 , p. B11
  31. 1 2 3 Radel 1984 , p. E-22
  32. Harrington 1984 , p. D1
  33. 1 2 3 100 Greatest Bruce Springsteen Songs of All Time
  34. Carlin 2012 , p. 323
  35. Heylin 2012 , p. 327
  36. Moss 1992 , p. 177
  37. 1 2 Moss 1992 , p. 178
  38. Ruhlmann: Born in the U.S.A.
  39. Marsh 1987 , p. 402
  40. Carpenter 1985 , p. 10B
  41. Roura 1985 , p. C33
  42. 1 2 3 Guesdon 2020 , p. 262
  43. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bruce Springsteen: I'm Goin' Down
  44. Heylin 2012, pp. 501–502
  45. Schafer 1985, p. 3
  46. Ward
  47. Mackie 1985, p. C2
  48. 1 2 3 Milward 1988, pp. 1-D, 6-D
  49. 1 2 Cumutte 1988, p. C6
  50. Stroby 1987, p. G13
  51. Deming: The Ties That Bind: The River Collection
  52. 1 2 3 4 Guesdon 2020, p. 184
  53. 1 2 Heylin 2012, p. 467
  54. Hot 100 Singles (September 7, 1985) , p. 60
  55. 1 2 Bruce Springsteen: Chart History
  56. 1 2 Top Singles – Volume 43, No. 8, November 02, 1985
  57. 1 2 Kent 1993
  58. 1 2 "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved June 1, 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, with "I'm going down" in the "Titolo" field, click "cerca".
  59. Himes 2005 , p. 105
  60. Ruhlmann: 12" Single Collection
  61. Erlewine
  62. Kot 1995 , p. 3
  63. 1 2 Daly 1984 , p. 10
  64. 1 2 Tucker 1984 , p. 7E
  65. 1 2 Willistein 1984 , p. 78
  66. 1 2 3 4 Robertson 1984
  67. Marlowe 1984 , p. 3C
  68. Gill 1984 , p. C3
  69. DeKnock 1985 , p. 18 S
  70. Hinckley 1984 , p. 20
  71. 1 2 3 Live: 2002–3
  72. 1 2 Live Dates: 2009
  73. Cotter 2009 , p. A15
  74. Kerwick 2009 , p. A10
  75. Spevak 2016 , p. 8A
  76. Hirsh 2008 , p. 7
  77. Gentile 2008 , p. C5
  78. Graff 1985 , p. 9D
  79. 1 2 Himes 2005 , p. 115
  80. Boucher 2009 , p. E5
  81. Live: 2005
  82. Live: 2006
  83. Live: 2007
  84. Live: 2008
  85. Live Dates: 2012
  86. Live Dates: 2013
  87. Live Dates: 2014
  88. Live Dates: 2015
  89. Live Dates: 2016
  90. Live Dates: 2017
  91. Relive the Tours: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band 2023 Tour
  92. Cooper 2017
  93. Beviglia 2014 , p. 188
  94. Beviglia 2014 , p. 34
  95. Olivier 2019
  96. Lewis 2015 , p. 60
  97. 1 2 Truitt 2001
  98. Songs you won't hear on the radio—at least for a while , p. 3E
  99. 1 2 Hatcher 2001
  100. Corcoran 1997 , p. 38
  101. "Dog Gone" CD cover
  102. Phares
  103. "I'm Goin' Down" (Timtimebomb.com)
  104. Koski 2013
  105. Thomas
  106. Margolis 2014
  107. Beckerman 2014 , p. D3
  108. 1 2 Vampire Weekend: iTunes Session
  109. 1 2 Payne 2019
  110. Stosuy (September 27, 2010)
  111. 1 2 Breihan 2010
  112. Stosuy (September 2, 2010)
  113. Dombal 2010
  114. Daly 2014 , p. 35
  115. "I'm Goin' Down" – Single (Free Energy)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce Springsteen</span> American rock musician (born 1949)

Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen is an American rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", he has released 21 studio albums over six decades, most featuring the E Street Band, his backing band since 1972. Springsteen is a pioneer of heartland rock, combining commercially successful rock with poetic, socially conscious lyrics which reflect working class American life. He is known for his descriptive lyrics and energetic concerts, which sometimes last over four hours.

<i>Born in the U.S.A.</i> 1984 studio album by Bruce Springsteen

Born in the U.S.A. is the seventh studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on June 4, 1984, by Columbia Records. Produced by Springsteen, Jon Landau, Steven Van Zandt, and Chuck Plotkin, the album was recorded in New York City with the E Street Band over two years between January 1982 and March 1984. Some of the songs originated from the same demo tape that yielded Springsteen's previous album, the solo effort Nebraska (1982), while others were written after that album's release. The sessions yielded between 70 and 90 songs; some were released as B-sides, some later saw release on compilation albums, while others remain unreleased.

"Thunder Road" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen. It is the opening track on his breakthrough album Born to Run. While never released as a single, "Thunder Road" is nevertheless considered one of Springsteen's greatest songs and one of the top rock songs in history. It is ranked number 111 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.

<i>Live 1975–85</i> 1986 live album by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

Live/1975–85 is a live album by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, consisting of 40 tracks recorded at various concerts between 1975 and 1985, and released as a box set by Columbia Records on November 10, 1986. It broke the record for advance orders, and, according to RIAA certification, is the second-best-selling live album in the US. Rolling Stone hailed it as "an embarrassment of riches", while The New York Times said it was "an unprecedented event in popular recording" and "monumental".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">E Street Band</span> Bruce Springsteens backing band

The E Street Band is an American rock band that has been the primary backing band for rock musician Bruce Springsteen since 1972. In 2014, the E Street Band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. For the bulk of Springsteen's recording and performing career, the band included guitarists Steven Van Zandt, Nils Lofgren, and Patti Scialfa, keyboardists Danny Federici and Roy Bittan, bassist Garry Tallent, drummer Max Weinberg and saxophonist Clarence Clemons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Born in the U.S.A. (song)</span> 1984 song by Bruce Springsteen

"Born in the U.S.A." is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen and released in 1984 on the album of the same name as its opening track. One of Springsteen's best-known songs, it was ranked 275th on Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time", and in 2001, the RIAA's Songs of the Century placed the song 59th, remaining a favorite in classic rock. The song addresses the economic hardships of Vietnam veterans upon their return home, juxtaposed ironically against patriotic glorification of the nation's fighting forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hungry Heart</span> 1980 single by Bruce Springsteen

"Hungry Heart" is a rock song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen on his fifth album, The River. It was released as the album's lead single in 1980 and became Springsteen's first big hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart peaking at number five.

"No Surrender" is a song from Bruce Springsteen's album Born in the U.S.A.. It was only included on the album at the insistence of Steven Van Zandt, but has since become a concert staple for Springsteen. Though it was not one of the seven top ten hits of the album, "No Surrender" nevertheless charted on the Mainstream Rock chart, peaking at No. 29. It returned to prominence during the 2004 United States presidential election when John Kerry, the Democratic candidate and a fan of Springsteen, used the song as the main theme song for his campaign.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dancing in the Dark (Bruce Springsteen song)</span> 1984 single by Bruce Springsteen

"Dancing in the Dark" is a song written and performed by American rock singer Bruce Springsteen. It was the first single released ahead from his 1984 album, Born in the U.S.A., and became his biggest hit, helping the album become the best-selling album of his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cover Me (Bruce Springsteen song)</span> 1984 single by Bruce Springsteen

"Cover Me" is a song written and performed by American rock singer Bruce Springsteen. It was the second single released from his 1984 album Born in the U.S.A.. Springsteen wrote the song for Donna Summer. However, his manager, Jon Landau, decided the song had hit potential, and so he kept it for the upcoming Springsteen album. It has been certified Gold in the US.

"Pink Cadillac" is a song by Bruce Springsteen released as the non-album B-side of "Dancing in the Dark" in 1984. The song received much airplay worldwide and appeared on the Billboard Top Tracks chart for 14 weeks, peaking at No. 27. The song was also a prominent concert number during Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A. Tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm on Fire</span> 1985 single by Bruce Springsteen

"I'm on Fire" is a song written and performed by American rock performer Bruce Springsteen. Released in 1985, it was the fourth single from his album Born in the U.S.A.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Born in the U.S.A. Tour</span> 1984–85 concert tour by Bruce Springsteen

The Born in the U.S.A. Tour was the supporting concert tour of Bruce Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A. album. It was his longest and most successful tour to date. It featured a physically transformed Springsteen; after two years of bodybuilding, the singer had bulked up considerably. The tour was the first since the 1974 portions of the Born to Run tours without guitarist Steven Van Zandt, who decided to go solo after recording the album with the group. Van Zandt, who was replaced by Nils Lofgren, would appear a few times throughout the tour and in some of the music videos to promote the album. It was also the first tour to feature Springsteen's future wife, Patti Scialfa.

"Downbound Train" is a song that appears on the 1984 Bruce Springsteen album Born in the U.S.A. The song is a lament to a lost spouse, and takes on a melancholy tone. Author Christopher Sandford described the song as beginning "like a Keith Richards' riff" that ultimately moves to "one of those great country busted-heart lines, 'Now I work down at the car wash/where all it ever does is rain.'"

"Bobby Jean" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen, from his 1984 album Born in the U.S.A. Although not released as a single, it reached number 36 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

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

"The River" is a song written and recorded by Bruce Springsteen, accompanied by the E Street Band, in 1979. The title track of his fifth album, it was a hit single in parts of Europe in 1981; reaching No.24 in Ireland, No. 25 in the Netherlands, and the top 10 in both Sweden and Norway. Its B-side was either "Independence Day" or "Ramrod", depending on the country of release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High Hopes Tour</span> 2014 concert tour by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

The High Hopes Tour was a concert tour by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band with special guest guitarist Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine. The tour was seen as a continuation of his previous tour and was in support of eighteenth studio album, High Hopes, which was released in January 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The River Tour (2016)</span> 2016–17 concert tour by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

The River Tour was a concert tour by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band in support of Springsteen's 2015 The Ties That Bind: The River Collection box set and in celebration of the 35th anniversary of Springsteen's 1980 album, The River. The River Tour ended in September 2016. Subsequently, the Summer '17 tour in Australia and New Zealand continued the tour using the same promotional image from the original legs.

<i>Springsteen on Broadway</i> Concert residency by Bruce Springsteen in New York City

Springsteen on Broadway is a concert residency by Bruce Springsteen held at the Walter Kerr Theatre and St. James Theatre in New York City. The original residency at the Walter Kerr Theatre consisted of Springsteen performing five shows a week, Tuesday through Saturday. Preview performances began on October 3, 2017, followed by the official opening on October 12, 2017. The run was originally expected to conclude on November 26, 2017; however, due to high demand for tickets and issues with scalpers, additional dates were added through June 30, 2018. The show was extended a second time on March 20, 2018, extending the run through December 15, 2018. On June 7, 2021, Springsteen announced a limited 31-show run of Springsteen on Broadway at the St. James Theatre beginning on June 26, 2021, with additional performances through September 4, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Springsteen and E Street Band 2023–2025 Tour</span> 2023–25 tour by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

The Springsteen and E Street Band 2023 Tour is an ongoing concert tour by American singer Bruce Springsteen and his backing band the E Street Band. The tour began on February 1, 2023, in Tampa, Florida; it marks the first time since 2017 that Springsteen and the E Street Band have toured together. The tour is currently scheduled to conclude on July 3, 2025, in Milan. Due to band member illnesses and Springsteen suffering his own health issues, twenty-four dates of the tour were postponed and were rescheduled for 2024. Four dates in May and June 2024 were also postponed due to vocal issues suffered by Springsteen.

References