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Death to My Hometown
Bruce Springsteen Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh, no cannonballs did fly, no rifles cut us down
No bombs fell from the sky, no blood soaked the ground
No powder flash blinded the eye, no deathly thunder sound
But just as sure as the hand of God, they brought death to my hometown
They brought death to my hometown
No shells ripped the evening sky, no cities burning down
No armies stormed the shores for which we’d die
No dictators were crowned
I awoke from a quite night, I never heard a sound
Marauders raided in the dark and brought death to my hometown, buys
Death to my hometown

They destroyed our families’ factories and they took our homes
They left our bodies on the plains, the vultures picked our bones

So listen up, my sonny boy, be ready for when they come
For they’ll be returning sure as the rising sun
Now get yourself a song to sing and sing it ’til you’re done
Yeah, sing it hard and sing it well
Send the robber barons straight to hell
The greedy thieves who came around
And ate the flesh of everything they found
Whose crimes have gone unpunished now
Who walk the streets as free men now

Ah, they brought death to our hometown, boys
Death to our hometown, boys
Death to our hometown, boys
Death to our hometown, whoa!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Bruce Springsteen's "Death to My Hometown" describe the destruction that came to the singer's hometown at the hands of greedy and destructive outsiders. The singer makes it clear that this destruction was not the result of any kind of military conflict, as there were "no cannonballs" or "powder flash" involved. Instead, the destruction was caused by "Marauders [who] raided in the dark and brought death to my hometown." The marauders destroyed the factories that provided jobs for the people in the town and took their homes, leaving them with nothing. The singer warns future generations to be ready for when the marauders come back, because they surely will.


The lyrics are a commentary on the way that capitalism and greed can destroy communities and leave people with nothing. The "robber barons" who came to the town and "ate the flesh of everything they found" are the embodiment of the destructive force that the singer is warning against. The fact that these "crimes have gone unpunished" and the "greedy thieves who came around" are "free men now" is a commentary on the way that capitalism often rewards those who exploit others.


Overall, the lyrics to "Death to My Hometown" are a warning against the destructive power of unchecked greed and an assertion that future generations must be ready to fight back against those who seek to destroy their communities.


Line by Line Meaning

Oh, no cannonballs did fly, no rifles cut us down
There was no physical warfare or armed conflict that caused destruction in our hometown.


No bombs fell from the sky, no blood soaked the ground
There were no air raids or bloody battles that caused damage in our hometown.


No powder flash blinded the eye, no deathly thunder sound
There was no gunfire or artillery fire that caused chaos in our hometown.


But just as sure as the hand of God, they brought death to my hometown
Despite the lack of traditional warfare, a destructive force descended upon and ravaged our hometown.


They brought death to my hometown
The group responsible for the destruction left our hometown in ruins and suffering.


No shells ripped the evening sky, no cities burning down
No major physical damage was visible in our hometown from afar.


No armies stormed the shores for which we’d die
No enemy invasion took place and claimed our town.


No dictators were crowned
No oppressive regime was established in our hometown.


I awoke from a quite night, I never heard a sound
The destruction occurred covertly and without any warning, catching us off guard.


Marauders raided in the dark and brought death to my hometown, boys
A group of violent raiders snuck into our hometown under the cover of nightfall, inflicting unfathomable ruin and grief.


They destroyed our families’ factories and they took our homes
The perpetrators targeted our sources of livelihood and our homes, leaving us with nothing.


They left our bodies on the plains, the vultures picked our bones
The destruction was so profound that it left many of us dead and exposed to the elements and predators.


So listen up, my sonny boy, be ready for when they come
We need to remain vigilant and prepared in case similar hostile forces return.


For they’ll be returning sure as the rising sun
History has shown that the enemy always makes a comeback, and we need to be prepared for it.


Now get yourself a song to sing and sing it ’til you’re done
We must raise our voices and use our talents to rally against those who seek to destroy us.


Yeah, sing it hard and sing it well
We need to give it our all in our fight against those who wish to harm us.


Send the robber barons straight to hell
We should seek justice against those responsible for the destruction and devastation.


The greedy thieves who came around
The perpetrators of the destruction were driven by their own greed and self-interest.


And ate the flesh of everything they found
They consumed every resource and element of our hometown until there was nothing left to sustain us.


Whose crimes have gone unpunished now
Despite their wrongdoings, the perpetrators have yet to face any consequences or punishment.


Who walk the streets as free men now
The perpetrators are free to roam and live their lives, even after causing so much harm and suffering.


Ah, they brought death to our hometown, boys
The perpetrators were responsible for the death and destruction that befell our hometown.


Death to our hometown, boys
Our hometown has suffered greatly and lost many lives due to the destruction.


Death to our hometown, boys
We mourn the loss of our hometown and the life we once knew.


Death to our hometown, whoa!
We condemn the perpetrators who caused destruction and harm to our town.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@oldpossum

Well, no cannon ball did fly, no rifles cut us down
No bombs fell from the sky, no blood soaked the ground
No powder flash blinded the eye
No deathly thunder sounded
But just as sure as the hand of God
They brought death to my hometown
They brought death to my hometown

Now, no shells ripped the evening sky
No cities burning down
No army stormed the shores for which we’d die
No dictators were crowned
I awoke on a quiet night, I never heard a sound
The marauders raided in the dark
And brought death to my hometown
They brought death to my hometown

They destroyed our families, factories
And they took our homes
They left our bodies on the plains
The vultures picked our bones



@oldpossum

So, listen up my sonny boy, be ready when they come
For they’ll be returning sure as the rising sun
Now get yourself a song to sing
And sing it ’til you’re done
Sing it hard and sing it well
Send the robber barons straight to hell
The greedy thieves who came around
And ate the flesh of everything they found
Whose crimes have gone unpunished now
Who walk the streets as free men now

They brought death to our hometown, boys
Death to our hometown
Death to our hometown, boys
Death to our hometown



All comments from YouTube:

@MrAlsfan5

Greatest protest song in 30 years. Way to go Bruce! You're singing for all us working class people. Thanks!

@joebob617

Fuckin' Eh Right! When the time comes (oh no - I'm not saying now - in 2023 - you misunderstand - I would NEVER advocate for such a thing - just saying..."artistically"), THIS TUNE would be a great place to start a Revolution.

@verixbest

I'm twenty-one and I'm gonna see him live for the second time in June 2012. His concerts are like a drug: once you try it, you can never stop! Proud of keep growing up with him, his voice, his sound, his words. It just makes me improve my self with every song. And this, Death to my hometown, is the best from Wrecking ball as well as one of the best songs to hear live once in the life of everyone!

@clueless9245

This song certainly stands out on Wrecking Ball, but Jack of All Trades hits Harder. And live...well we all know the bonus of attending shows.

@cneterer

Hope you see this. You will be 30 - 31 now. I'm so glad you can hear what is in these songs. My best friend's oldest son is 29 and he was ridiculed at school for liking classic rock. Styx in particular. There was a time when auto-tune and drum machines weren't valued. We paid professional artists to paint gorgeous pictures for album covers. Music used to be more than commercial.

@cneterer

@Clue Less I watched Bruce's Netflix special and was astonished to see how funny he can be while poignant at the same time. At the end, he was shaking hands with young men who could've been his grandsons.

@tomtroy-mo5hl

Bro I'm addicted to this song, listen to it every. I'm 37, been listening to Bruce since I was 12. He's my hero, and it's awesome to see someone who is on my same vibes
Wuttup my dude 💯

@pizzalord2071

@ninenn1995

Oh my god how this song makes me feel full of energy when I'm depressed. doesn't make me feel happy, no, just like I got the power to change my whole life if I want to ! this is divine <3

@joebob617

I hear that. Be careful with that feeling (11 years later ;-).

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