In 1973, Springsteen released his first two albums, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. and The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle, neither of which earned him a large audience. He changed his style and reached worldwide popularity with Born to Run in 1975. It was followed by Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978) and The River (1980), which topped the US Billboard 200 chart. After the solo recording, Nebraska (1982), he reunited with the E Street Band for Born in the U.S.A. (1984), his most commercially successful album and one of the best-selling albums of all time. Seven of its singles reached the Top Ten of the Billboard Hot 100, including the title track. Springsteen recorded his next three albums, Tunnel of Love (1987), Human Touch (1992), and Lucky Town (1992) using mostly session musicians. He reassembled the E Street Band for 1995's Greatest Hits, then recorded the sparse acoustic The Ghost of Tom Joad, followed by the EP Blood Brothers (1996), his last release of the decade.
Springsteen dedicated his 2002 album The Rising to the victims of the September 11 attacks. He released two more folk albums, Devils & Dust (2005) and We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (2006), followed by two more albums with the E Street Band: Magic (2007) and Working on a Dream (2009). The next two, Wrecking Ball (2012) and High Hopes (2014), topped album charts worldwide. His latest releases include the solo Western Stars (2019), the E Street Band-featuring Letter to You (2020) and a solo cover album Only the Strong Survive (2022). When Letter to You went to No.2 in the US, Springsteen became the first artist to score a Top Five hit across six consecutive decades.
Among the album era's prominent acts, Springsteen has sold more than 140 million records worldwide and more than 71 million in the United States, making him one of the world's best-selling music artists. He has earned numerous awards for his work, including 20 Grammy Awards, two Golden Globes, an Academy Award, and a Special Tony Award (for Springsteen on Broadway). Springsteen was inducted into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999, received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2009, named MusiCares person of the year in 2013, and awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2016. He ranked 23rd on Rolling Stone's list of the Greatest Artists of All Time, which described him as being "the embodiment of rock & roll".
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Springsteen
Studio albums
Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. (1973)
The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle (1973)
Born to Run (1975)
Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978)
The River (1980)
Nebraska (1982)
Born in the U.S.A. (1984)
Tunnel of Love (1987)
Human Touch (1992)
Lucky Town (1992)
The Ghost of Tom Joad (1995)
The Rising (2002)
Devils & Dust (2005)
We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (2006)
Magic (2007)
Working on a Dream (2009)
Wrecking Ball (2012)
High Hopes (2014)
Western Stars (2019)
Letter to You (2020)
Only the Strong Survive (2022)
01
Bruce Springsteen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bless your children, give them names
Don't trust men who walk with canes
Drink this and you'll grow wings on your feet
Broadway Mary, Joan Fontaine
Advertiser on a downtown train
Christmas crier bustin' cane
He's in love again
Where dock worker's dreams mix with panther's schemes
To someday own the rodeo
Tainted women in VistaVision
Perform for out-of-state kids at the late show
Wizard imps and sweat sock pimps
Interstellar mongrel nymphs
Rex said that lady left him limp
Love's like that (sure it is)
Queen of diamonds, ace of spades
Newly discovered lovers of the Everglades
They take out a full-page ad in the trades
To announce their arrival
And Mary Lou, she found out how to cope
She rides to heaven on a gyroscope
The Daily News asks her for the dope
She said, "Man, the dope's that there's still hope"
Senorita, Spanish rose
Wipes her eyes and blows her nose
Uptown in Harlem she throws a rose
To some lucky young matador
In Bruce Springsteen's song "Does This Bus Stop At 82nd Street," he creates a vivid picture of the bustling and diverse nature of New York City in a way that uses unique imagery. The song is about the diverse groups of people who come together at the bus stop at 82nd street in New York City, and Springsteen describes the uniqueness of these individuals with rich and original metaphors. In the first few lines, he addresses the bus driver, asking him to keep the change and to bless his children with names. Then he goes on to warn against trusting men who walk with canes, suggesting that they could be swindlers.
Later in the song, Springsteen references a mix of dock worker's dreams and panther's schemes, suggesting that there is an intermix of hard-work and danger. He mentions "tainted women in VistaVision" who perform for out-of-state kids at the late show - this line refers to the adult film industry that was becoming more popularized during the time period Springsteen wrote the song. There are other figurative language and cultural references in the song, like "sweat sock pimps" and "interstellar mongrel nymphs," that speak to the vibrant energy of NYC and its contrasted personalities.
Overall, Springsteen captures the hustle and bustle of life in the big city and the unique characters that make up its population. Through his crafty use of metaphors and imagery, he almost paints a picture with his words, immersing the listener in a world that’s both familiar and entirely unique.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey bus driver, keep the change
Keep the rest of the fare as your tip.
Bless your children, give them names
Give your children meaningful names that will bless their lives.
Don't trust men who walk with canes
Be cautious of men who seem weak because they could be deceiving you.
Drink this and you'll grow wings on your feet
This drink will give you energy and confidence.
Broadway Mary, Joan Fontaine
Broadway Mary is a symbol of a woman pursuing her dreams, while Joan Fontaine is a reference to an actress in old Hollywood films.
Advertiser on a downtown train
Someone trying to convince people to buy something by advertising it on a train.
Christmas crier bustin' cane
A street performer using a cane to attract attention while singing Christmas carols.
He's in love again
The singer is in love once again and feeling happy.
Where dock worker's dreams mix with panther's schemes
The place where the hopes of working-class folks intersect with the plotting of cunning individuals.
To someday own the rodeo
A dream of becoming wealthy and being able to buy and run a rodeo.
Tainted women in VistaVision
Women who have been corrupted, caught on camera, and shown on the VistaVision movie screen.
Perform for out-of-state kids at the late show
These women entertain tourists who have come to a late-night show from another state.
Wizard imps and sweat sock pimps
Eccentric and powerful men on the fringes of society.
Interstellar mongrel nymphs
Beautiful but wild women from outer space who wander Earth.
Rex said that lady left him limp
Rex claimed the woman broke his heart and left him feeling powerless.
Love's like that (sure it is)
Love is often unpredictable and can have unexpected outcomes.
Queen of diamonds, ace of spades
The singer mentions two playing cards, often used to represent powerful women or luck.
Newly discovered lovers of the Everglades
A couple who recently fell in love while exploring the Florida Everglades.
They take out a full-page ad in the trades
The couple wants to publicly announce their love and relationship.
To announce their arrival
They want to draw attention to themselves and make their presence known.
And Mary Lou, she found out how to cope
Mary Lou found a way to deal with her problems.
She rides to heaven on a gyroscope
Mary Lou experiences a feeling of ecstasy, as if she's ascending to heaven while riding a gyroscope.
The Daily News asks her for the dope
A newspaper wants to know her story, or inside information.
She said, "Man, the dope's that there's still hope"
Mary Lou's advice is that even when it seems hopeless, there's always some hope left.
Senorita, Spanish rose
A beautiful woman from Spain.
Wipes her eyes and blows her nose
She is crying and wiping her tears and blowing her nose.
Uptown in Harlem she throws a rose
She flings a rose in Harlem, indicating that she is either showing love or expressing a feeling of freedom.
To some lucky young matador
The person who catches the rose represents someone who has luck on their side, as if a matador who dodges a bull's horns.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
P WHJ
Not a huge Bruce fan, but this is without a doubt one of the most beautiful songs ever recorded. I was 19 when it came out and all these years later it still packs an emotional punch like so few songs can.
Ruby Mccaslin
HE DIDN'T WRITE IT!!! IT'S A COVER FROM THE DESERT ROSE BAND!!! ALTHO I LOVE HIS RENDITION...❤
TheGuyWithTheThingOnTheTable
@Ruby Mccaslin Wrong.
Mayson Bellefroid
@Ruby Mccaslinhe did write it and others have covered it after. Its litteraly about his first mariage that failled. Learn your facts. And btw you can simply look it up. Wikipedia my friend 😉
Drifterman319
You're feeling it. Good for you. Which means you're a good human being.
Pam Dukovac
I’m not either but this is beautiful
laura guilfoyle
I think the Boss has two kinds of fans: those that love him for his epic energy on stage and those that listen to his lyrics and know he is one of the finest poets that ever lived.
Mike
I think there's a third kind that appreciates both the rocker and the poet.
Elias Edquist
You're both right I listen for all three!
Stacey Cornelius
U make a good point. I'm 54. When I was younger, it was the rock vibe. Now it's the poet vibe. Either way, he gets ya! I love him.