"Lonesome Day" | ||||
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Single by Bruce Springsteen | ||||
from the album The Rising | ||||
Released | December 2, 2002 | |||
Recorded | February–March 2002 Southern Tracks Recording Studio, Atlanta, Georgia | |||
Genre | Rock, country rock [1] | |||
Length | 4:08 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Songwriter(s) | Bruce Springsteen | |||
Producer(s) | Brendan O'Brien | |||
Bruce Springsteen singles chronology | ||||
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"Lonesome Day" is a song written by Bruce Springsteen and initially performed by Springsteen and the E Street Band. It is the opening track of his 2002 album The Rising . It was released as a single as the follow-up to the title track on December 2, 2002 and reached #36 on the Billboard Adult Top 40 chart, [2] #39 in the UK, [3] and #47 in Sweden. [4] It fared much better on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart, reaching #3. [5]
"Lonesome Day" sets the tone for The Rising album as one of several songs on the album with lyrics that appear to be inspired by the September 11, 2001 attacks. [6] [7] However, like other songs on the album, the lyrics work well as a reflection of the general human condition as well as the specific incident that occurred on September 11. [7] The narrator of the song is attempting to deal with the loneliness due to the loss of his (or her) beloved. [6] [8] [9] The narrator sings that "It's going to be okay/If I can just get through this lonesome day." [6] But although the narrator now grieves the loss, he realizes that he did not really know his beloved that well [7] and he acknowledges that he had been less than perfect in his relationship with the now absent beloved: [8]
Better ask questions before you shoot
Deceit and betrayal's bitter fruit
It's hard to swallow come time to pay
That taste on your tongue don't easily slip away
Let kingdom come
I'm going to find my way
Through this lonesome day.
The lyrics in the 2nd verse allude to the possibility of revenge: "A little revenge and this too shall pass." [6] [10] This is representative of one side of the conflicted feelings reflected in the album about the possible response to the September 11 attacks, where some songs like this one and "Empty Sky" allude to revenge and others, such as "Paradise" and "Worlds Apart" hope for mutual understanding. [6] Springsteen biographer Dave Marsh interprets the lines in the 3rd verse that you "better ask questions before you shoot" as recognition that revenge will not work. [11]
"Lonesome Day" also sets the tone for the album musically. It is a midtempo rock song that also has country music elements. [8] Soozie Tyrell's strident violin is prominent, introducing one of several new musical textures that the E-Street Band employs on the album. [6] [9] Producer Brendan O'Brien himself plays a hurdy-gurdy, which musically hints that the narrator is remembering an innocent past that never was. [8]
The music video of the song was shot in Asbury Park, New Jersey and directed by Mark Pellington. [12] Unlike most music videos, Springsteen recorded the song live in each take during shooting of the video, over a 16-hour period. [12]
Since its initial appearance on The Rising, "Lonesome Day" has appeared on several subsequent Bruce Springsteen releases. A live performance from The Rising Tour was included on the DVD Live in Barcelona , and a live performance from the Working on a Dream Tour was included on the 2010 DVD London Calling: Live in Hyde Park . [13] [14] It was also included on the 2003 compilation album The Essential Bruce Springsteen and on the 2009 compilation album Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Greatest Hits . [15]
Chart (2002) | Peak position |
---|---|
Belgium (Ultratip Flanders) [16] | 18 |
Germany (Official German Charts) [17] | 92 |
Italy (FIMI) [18] | 13 |
Netherlands (Dutch Tipparade 40) [19] | 4 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [20] | 51 |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [21] | 6 |
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [22] | 47 |
UK Singles (OCC) [23] | 39 |
US Adult Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [24] | 3 |
US Adult Top 40 ( Billboard ) [25] | 36 |
The Rising is the twelfth studio album by American recording artist Bruce Springsteen, released on July 30, 2002, on Columbia Records. In addition to being Springsteen's first studio album in seven years, it was also his first with the E Street Band in 18 years. Based in large part on Springsteen's reflections during the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks, the album predominantly centers upon themes of relationship struggles, existential crisis and social uplift.
"Because the Night" is a rock song written by Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith that was first released in 1978 as a single from the Patti Smith Group album, Easter. This version rose to No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, as well as No. 5 in the United Kingdom, and helped propel sales of Easter to mainstream success.
"Born in the U.S.A." is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen, and released in 1984 on the album of the same name. One of Springsteen's best-known singles, 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. The song addresses the economic hardships of Vietnam veterans upon their return home, juxtaposed ironically against patriotic glorification of the nation's fighting forces.
"Fire" is a song written by Bruce Springsteen in 1977 which had its highest profile as a 1978 single release by the Pointer Sisters. The song was also released by Robert Gordon and Springsteen himself.
"Hungry Heart" is a 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.
"Streets of Philadelphia" is a song written and performed by American rock musician Bruce Springsteen for the film Philadelphia (1993) starring Tom Hanks, an early mainstream film dealing with HIV/AIDS. Released as a single in 1994, the song was a hit in many countries, particularly in Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, and Norway, where it topped the singles charts. In the United States, the single peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100.
"My Hometown" is a single by Bruce Springsteen off his Born in the U.S.A. album, that was the then-record-tying seventh and last top 10 single to come from it, peaking at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. It also topped the U.S. adult contemporary chart, making the song Springsteen's only #1 song on this chart to date. The song is a synthesizer-based, low-tempo number that features Springsteen on vocals.
"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.
Live In Barcelona is a full concert video DVD of a performance by Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band of their Rising Tour performance of October 16, 2002 at Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
Magic is the fifteenth studio album by Bruce Springsteen. The album was released by Columbia Records, first on LP on September 25, 2007, with the CD release following on October 2, 2007. It was his first with the E Street Band since The Rising in 2002. The album ranked number two on Rolling Stone's list of the Top 50 Albums of 2007.
"The Rising" is the title track on Bruce Springsteen's 12th studio album The Rising, and was released as a single in 2002. Springsteen wrote the song in reaction to the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York City. It gained critical praise and earned Grammy Awards for Best Rock Song and Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, as well as a nomination for Song of the Year. Rolling Stone named it the 35th best song of the decade, and VH1 placed it 81st on its list of the "100 Greatest Songs of the '00s". It was used as the first credit song to end the broadcast of the 2002 World Series on Fox Sports.
"Be True" is a song by Bruce Springsteen. It was recorded on July 18, 1979 at The Power Station in New York in one of the early recording sessions for Bruce Springsteen's album The River. It was not released on the album, but in 1981 it was released as the B-side to the single release of "Fade Away", a song taken from The River album. According to Springsteen, "Be True" was left off The River album in favor of the song "Crush on You", a decision he has a hard time understanding in retrospect. Springsteen was already second guessing his decision to exclude "Be True" from The River before the album was even released.
"Brilliant Disguise" is a song by Bruce Springsteen from his 1987 album Tunnel of Love. It was released as the first single from the album, reaching the No. 5 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock chart in the United States. The follow-up single, "Tunnel of Love", also reached No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, giving Springsteen two consecutive No. 1's. The single reached the top 10 in four additional countries including Canada and Ireland and the top 20 in Australia, Netherlands and the United Kingdom. "Brilliant Disguise" was nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 1988 Grammy Awards.
"Tunnel of Love" is the title song by Bruce Springsteen from his 1987 Tunnel of Love album. It was released as the second single from the album, reaching number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Like the first single from the album, "Brilliant Disguise", "Tunnel of Love" reached number one on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and reached the top twenty in Canada peaking at number seventeen. The music video received five MTV Video Music Awards nominations, including Video of the Year and Best Male Video.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Greatest Hits is Bruce Springsteen's fifth compilation album, released as a limited edition first in the United States, Canada and Australia on January 13, 2009, exclusively through Wal-Mart retailers.
"Secret Garden" is a song by American musician Bruce Springsteen. It was originally released as a single from his Greatest Hits album on February 27, 1995, on Columbia Records. Upon its initial release, it peaked at number 63 on the Billboard Hot 100.
London Calling: Live in Hyde Park is a concert video of Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band's performance during the Hard Rock Calling music festival in Hyde Park, London on June 28, 2009. The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray formats by Columbia Records on June 22, 2010.
"Waitin' on a Sunny Day" is a song by Bruce Springsteen that was first released in a recording with the E Street Band on his 2002 album The Rising. Although the song was not released as a single in the United States, it was released as a single in Europe, and was a hit in Sweden.
"We Take Care of Our Own" is a song written and recorded by American musician Bruce Springsteen. It is the first single from his album, Wrecking Ball. The single was released for download through amazon.com and iTunes on January 18, 2012. The song made its live debut on February 12, 2012, at the 54th Grammy Awards, where it was nominated for Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song.
"High Hopes" is a song that was recorded by American musicians Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band during their 1995 Greatest Hits sessions and eventually released on the Blood Brothers (EP) in 1996. The song was written and originally recorded in 1985 by Tim Scott McConnell. on his album High Lonesome Sound. The song was also released on a record with McConnell's band The Havalinas in 1990.