No Surrender (song)

Last updated
"No Surrender"
Promotional single by Bruce Springsteen
from the album Born in the U.S.A.
ReleasedJune 4, 1984
RecordedOctober 25–27, 1983 [1]
Studio Hit Factory, New York City
Genre
Length4:02
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s) Bruce Springsteen
Producer(s)

"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. [4] 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.

Contents

Live performances

During the Born in the U.S.A. Tour, Springsteen played a slower version of the song on acoustic guitar and harmonica. The song was played less and less towards the end of the tour. Springsteen wrote years later: "It was a song I was uncomfortable with. You don't hold out and triumph all the time in life. You compromise, you suffer defeat; you slip into life's gray areas." [5] An August 6, 1984 recording at the Meadowlands Arena is included on the box set Live 1975–85 .

The song was performed at 41% of shows on The River tour; 44% of shows on the High Hopes tour; 29% of the shows on the Wrecking Ball tour; 48% of shows on the Working On A Dream tour; 47% of shows on the Magic tour; 58% of shows on The Rising tour; 7% of shows on the Reunion Tour; 47% of shows on the solo acoustic The Ghost Of Tom Joad tour; and 33% of shows on the Born In The U.S.A. tour. It did not feature at any shows on the Devils & Dust tour; the 1992-93 World Tour, the Human Rights Now! tour, or the Tunnel of Love Express tour. [6]

As of 14 April 2024, the song has been performed at 71 of 74 shows (96%) on the 2023-2024 International Tour. It was played at each of the tour's initial 70 shows, being omitted for the first time at the 31 March 2024 show at Chase Center in San Francisco. [7]

Personnel

According to authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon: [8]

Cover versions

In 2008, Hot Water Music recorded the song on their B-sides and rarities album Til The Wheels Fall Off . [9]

In 2009, Jill Johnson from Sweden recorded the song on the cover album Music Row II . [10]

In 2009, Two Cow Garage recorded the song for the A side of Vol. 9 of Suburban Home Records' "Under the Influence" 7" covers series. Side B of the 7" features Jr. Juggernaut covering "Trouble" by Cat Stevens. [11]

In 2010, Maeve O'Boyle recorded the song for her album Intermission which was released in 2011.

In 2013, Mark Salling recorded a cover of the song for the TV show Glee as a tribute to cast member Cory Monteith who died suddenly earlier in the year. His version of the song was featured in the season 5 episode "The Quarterback", a tribute to Monteith, and his character Finn Hudson, who had recently died.

In 2017, Australian country music singer James Blundell recorded the song as a duet with Paul Costa on his Campfire album

In 2017, at the No Surrender Festival in Vilanova de Bellpuig, Catalonia, 1004 musicians and singers recorded a live version of the song. [12] [13]

Hawthorne Heights recorded a cover of the song on their 2019 album 'Lost Frequencies'

In 2020 The City Kids recorded a cover of this song on their album ‘ Sh*t That We Like’ that accompanied their debut album ‘Things That Never Were’

Related Research Articles

<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.

<i>The River</i> (Bruce Springsteen album) 1980 album by Bruce Springsteen

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"Fade Away" is a 1980 song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen, accompanied by the E Street Band. It is included on his album The River, and the second single released from it in the United States, reaching the top twenty in both the United States and Canada.

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"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.

"Wreck on the Highway" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen. It was originally released as the final track on his fifth album, The River. The version released on The River was recorded at The Power Station in New York in March–April 1980. As well as being the last track on The River, it was the last song recorded for the album.

"Out in the Street" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen from the 1980 album The River. It was recorded at The Power Station in New York between March and May 1980, as one of the last songs recorded for the album. Originally, Springsteen was going to keep the song off the album because it was so idealistic.

"Johnny 99" is a song written and recorded by rock musician Bruce Springsteen, which first appeared on Springsteen's 1982 solo album Nebraska.

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References

  1. ↑ Heylin, Clinton (2012). Springsteen Song by Song A Critical Look. New York, NY: Penguin Group (USA) Inc. p. 80. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  2. ↑ "Ranking the 12 Songs from 'Born in the U.S.A.'".
  3. ↑ "100 Greatest Bruce Springsteen Songs". Rolling Stone . 11 December 2018.
  4. ↑ Whitburn, J. (2008). Rock Tracks 1981-2008. Hal Leonard. p. 320. ISBN   9780898201741.
  5. ↑ Sodomsky, Sam (8 August 2021). "Bruce Springsteen: Born in the U.S.A. Album Review". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on August 8, 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  6. ↑ "No Surrender - Brucebase Wiki".
  7. ↑ "No Surrender - Brucebase Wiki".
  8. ↑ Margotin, Philippe; Guesdon, Jean-Michel (2020). Bruce Springsteen All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. London: Cassell Illustrated. p. 242. ISBN   978-1-78472-649-2.
  9. ↑ Till the Wheels Fall Off (Hot Water Music album)
  10. ↑ Information at Svensk mediedatabas
  11. ↑ "Two Cow Garage / Jr. Juggernaut – Under the Influence Vol. 9 (2009, Silver & White Splatter, Vinyl)". Discogs . 2009.
  12. ↑ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine : "No Surrender Festival - Bruce Springsteen tribute Official Video". YouTube . 4 August 2017.
  13. ↑ Evan Bleier: Bruce Springsteen Declines Invitation to Tiny Spanish Village. Again.. Inside Hook, 2019-07-02
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