I feel a bit of a fraud. Somehow, as you can see from his post, Name That Tune, Jim is giving me the credit for today’s Song Lyric Sunday theme. But I think he should share in that: all I did was comment when he posted Layla some weeks ago that it had a recognisable intro, and he leapt on that as a theme for future use. So here we are. For me, apart from that one – which I played in the most recent Tuesday Tunes anyway – there can only be one song for this. It isn’t the longest intro, coming in at around 15 seconds, and I wouldn’t be surprised if someone else chooses it too, but when those chords crank up I know instantly what is coming. See what I mean:
And here are the lyrics:
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 on Highway 9
Chrome wheeled, fuel injected, and steppin’ out over the line
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 wanna 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 ’til we drop, baby, we’ll never go back
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 the mist
I wanna die with you, Wendy, on the street tonight
In an everlasting kiss
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
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 ’til 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
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Bruce Springsteen
Born To Run lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Five minutes of the most incredible, high octane rock music that have ever been created. That song and its album came out forty seven years ago and I never tire of hearing it, and I never will. The basic facts are that the Born To Run album and single were both released on 25 August 1975. The album was Bruce’s third, and was packed full of great tracks, so much so that this wasn’t even the opener, as you might have expected: it started up side two, back in those days when we all bought our music on vinyl. It was very much Bruce’s breakthrough album in the US, where it got to #3 and has gone on to sell more than 7m copies. It fared less well here in the UK, reaching only #36 on its original release, though it has since peaked at #17 on a re-release. To my mind, that is still criminally low for such an iconic record. Cumulative sales over the years have qualified it for a Platinum Disc, though, so at least we haven’t failed him completely. By comparison it has achieved 7xPlatinum status in the US! The single got to #23 in the US and #56 in the UK, though a live version did better here, making #16 in 1987.
I was already a fan of The Boss after his first two albums, and couldn’t wait for his next one. But wait I did, as this record came out the week I got married, so my purchase had to follow our return from honeymoon. But I had my priorities right: even though cash was tight as newlyweds and we had a flat to furnish, a stand for the stereo system and a new album to play on it were high on the list! It is an incredibly good album, and as I said it is one that I still play to this day. Sadly, I’ve never been to one of his epic live shows: the closest I got was around ten years later when our ad agency had a spare ticket for a client for his gig at Wembley Stadium. Despite knowing that I was a huge fan they took a colleague instead: well, she was much prettier than me so I didn’t stand a chance, did I? But at least it created a new fan for him. I looked it up out of curiosity: they played two nights, with twenty three songs across two sets, plus a seven song encore. They saved Born To Run until the second song of their encore: that’s what I call confidence!
I hope you’ve enjoyed my choice for ‘my’ theme – see you again soon 🤘
Pingback: November Tale | Take It Easy
First, my apologies for being away. I thought the first thing to do when I went back to read your blog was to search to see if you had written anything about Springsteen in my absence. And this is the first one I came across (I’ll be checking for others after this comment!) The song and the album are iconic – among the best ever. I remember watching the documentary about this album, and it was amazing to watch the care that Bruce put into every element of this song. As you may recall, my all-time favorite Bruce song, Thunder Road, is on this album. An amazing collection of musical genius…
By the way, what a game between England and the US! I’ll be watching the Iran match later today, with fingers crossed.
I hope you have been well…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope you’ve been well too, and maybe we’ll see you posting again?
This was always a good way to start catching up. I think I’ve played him a couple of times recently – depending on how long you’ve been away! It is a great album, isn’t it, and great to see him still going strong now.
Depends how you look at that game. Viewed from here it was a dismal, disappointing performance after we massacred Iran. Your guys did you proud.
LikeLiked by 1 person
posting might be a couple of weeks away. it just seemed like a businer semester than usual…
I did catch your other Bruce song – great choice. I also saw that you had a post about ten. I didn’t see Tenth Avenue Freeeze-Out…
I think we were lucky to tie England. and we didn’t look so good in the second half of today’s game…
LikeLiked by 1 person
When you’re ready, no rush!
I managed not to include Bruce in that one – it had some of my other favourites instead!
Funny how we view the same game differently. I thought we were the ones who were lucky to get a draw, and your side did all they needed tonight. Thankfully we played much better this time!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I just think England is a much better team than the US. I am not holding out much hope that the US will advance much further…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh ye of little faith! The US did well to get to the knockout stage and thoroughly deserved their win last night. The Netherlands for you next, may be time to book the flights home…
LikeLiked by 1 person
it will be fun to watch the US match. I am assuming England is favored to beat Senegal…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Current FIFA rankings list has Netherlands at #8 playing US who are #16, and England at #5 playing Senegal who are #18. I think both will be close games.
LikeLike
Pingback: Song Lyric Sunday: The Boss – MobsterTiger
Hi Clive, my oldest son loves Bruce Springsteen so I get to hear his music a lot. This is a great song.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is, isn’t it. One of the finest rock songs ever 🤘
LikeLike
One of my favorite Springsteen songs of all time. I’ve never seen him perform live, but he always strikes me as someone who still loves to be in front of an audience.
LikeLiked by 1 person
He certainly does. Still going strong into his 70s 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had to smile. Not about Springsteen, but about the way we bought albums five hundred years ago when we were young. 🙂 It was so much more fun.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was a social thing too, listening with your mates in record shops before buying. You don’t get that with streaming!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Born to Run is my favourite song of all time, from my favourite album of all time.
I played the grooves off it when it came out. I have bought it on vinyl again and then in a celebration version. I have it as a cd and then in a celebration cd pack and of course on Spotify.
It’s opening is unmistakable and extraordinary.
Yep I love it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad to have made your day, Michael! I’ve had the album on vinyl and CD, though these days it is mostly streamed. A truly great song.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sure is.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This song to me feels so much like being young and reckless, both in the words and the music. We’re so invincible that it doesn’t matter if we die, we’re still invincible. The music has that same intense quality.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Springsteen was 25 when he wrote this, and it conveys exactly the feeling you describe. The music is a real rollercoaster, in perfect sync with the lyrics. Would that we could all be that age for ever!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes! Always loved that intro. Great choice Clive ☺️
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Christine. They don’t come much better 😊
LikeLike
High energy is the word. You can almost feel the sweat flying off the vinyl!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Rock music at its finest!
LikeLiked by 1 person
With a title of The Boss you were always going to draw me in, I can’t argue with any of your analysis, and I got to learn a few facts too.
Your story of missing out on that ticket is borderline tragic, you would never have forgotten it. Hopefully the lady who got the ticket was converted to fandom.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It seemed the best title! Glad you enjoyed the words too.
Yes, she was a good friend as well as colleague. We worked closely together on loads of ad campaigns and promotions, and she was absolutely buzzing in the office the day after the gig. I got an apology from our account director, and they ensured we got a dance together to a Springsteen track at that year’s agency Christmas party 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Don’t tell me – was it Dancing In The Dark by any chance?
Well I’m glad she loved the gig, and it’s testament to you that you took it so well.
By the way, just as a footnote to your blog earlier this week about being scammed, someone tried to take nearly £550 out of my Paypal account today, but luckily Paypal emailed me to check first and I was able to cancel the payment. Another story of a scam that ended well.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Right album. The fact that I remember it after all this time probably says something: it was Cover Me. I think they were trying to give us a message 🤣
You don’t lose friends over something like that, and it would have been childish and churlish of me not to be pleased that she enjoyed it and started buying his records.
Wow! Good that PayPal were on the ball and you were spared what I went through. I only had myself to blame!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I do remember our conversation Clive and I may have taken it the wrong way thing that you wanted to use this as a future theme, but I knew it would be a good one and the idea did originate with you. Great choice and I have never seen Bruce in concert either and it would have been very easy for me to do that because I lived in New Jersey.
LikeLiked by 1 person
No worries, Jim, I just thought you deserved some of the credit too! It is a good theme, though, as there are so many possibilities for it. I think we may both have missed out by not seeing him play live – they are epic events, from what I’ve been told by those who have.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I could have seen him before he became popular, as he played just a few miles away from here I lived on Mar 3, 1972. I lived in South Plainfield and the next town over was Metuchen, where he played at Joseph High School.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That would have been a memory to treasure – shame you missed it, but it isn’t always easy to predict future superstars, is it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great song – super choice – definitely memorable intro! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! I thought it fitted the bill well too 😊
LikeLike
The Boss! Great choice 🎶❤️
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. For me it just had to be this one!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great choice, Clive really rousing…I love Sweet Child of Mine too (as)above x
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Carol. One of the greats 😊 xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
You got to love the Boss
LikeLiked by 1 person
You sure do!
LikeLike
I am sure you may have seen this Clive but if not I am sure you would really enjoy it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I’ve seen the movie and really enjoyed it. One of several like it that have been made in recent years: Yesterday and Rocketman were both good too.
LikeLike
Yes and the Queen I loved them all 😂😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I realized that I heard not enough of Bruce Springsteen’s songs yet. This song is great in its expression. The adventure of a life fully lived. Thanks a lot for sharing, Clive!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You need to do some catching up – only the fifty years or so of great music from him! This is still, to my mind, one of his best but he has so many to choose from. Hope you enjoy hearing more of him 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
LOL! More or less, I know some of his songs beginning in the mid 80s but also here I rather know the popular ones… so quite a bit to catch up.
I will definitely check the older albmus. Thanks for the input, Clive!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Have fun 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
A perfect choice. When I hear this song I feel like cleaning the entire house, writing a book and making the best meal ever, in the morning!! So much energy. The other intro I love is Hotel California by the Eagles.
LikeLiked by 3 people
It has such energy, doesn’t it, though I have to say I’ve never felt like cleaning after hearing it! And writing a book is way beyond my capabilities. That is another great intro – there are so many, aren’t there. Sweet Child Of Mine is another of my favourites 😊
LikeLiked by 2 people