A Good Man Is Hard To Find
Bruce Springsteen Lyrics


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It's cloudy out in Pittsburgh
It's rainin' in Saigon
Snow's fallin' all across the Michigan line
Well she sits by the light of her Christmas tree
With the radio softly on
Thinkin' how a good man is so hard to find

Well once she had a fella
Once she was somebody's girl
And she gave all she had that one last time
Now there's a little girl asleep in the back room
She's gonna have to tell about the meanness in this world
And how a good man is so hard to find

Well there's pictures on the table by her bed
Him in his dress greens and her in her wedding white
She remembers how the world was the day he left
And now how that world is dead
And a good man is so hard to find

She got no time now for Casanovas
Yeah those days are gone
She don't want that anymore, she's made up her mind
Just somebody to hold her
As the night gets on
When a good man is so hard to find

Well she shuts off the TV
And without a word
Into bed she climbs
Well she thinks how it was all so wasted
And how expendable their dreams all were




When a good man was so hard to find
Well it's cloudy out in Pittsburgh...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Bruce Springsteen's "A Good Man Is Hard To Find" paint a picture of a woman who has been let down by love. She is sitting in her home, surrounded by reminders of her past, and reflecting on how difficult it is to find a "good man." The dreary weather in Pittsburgh and the distant war in Vietnam serve as a backdrop to her somber thoughts.


The woman's memories of her past love are bittersweet. She gave everything to him, and it ended badly. Now, she is left with a daughter who will grow up in a world full of meanness and disappointment. The pictures on her nightstand remind her of the happiness she felt when she was with her husband, but those times are long gone. She longs for someone to hold her, but she is jaded and distrustful.


The lyrics capture the loneliness and pessimism that can come with heartbreak. Despite the gloominess of the song, there is a faint glimmer of hope that someone good might come along. The woman shuts off the TV and goes to bed, contemplating the meaning of her life and the choices she has made. The song is a poignant exploration of the challenges of finding love and navigating disappointment.


Line by Line Meaning

It's cloudy out in Pittsburgh
The weather in Pittsburgh is gloomy and dreary.


It's rainin' in Saigon
It is currently raining heavily in Saigon, which creates a sad or miserable atmosphere.


Snow's fallin' all across the Michigan line
Michigan is currently experiencing a snowfall, giving the impression of an ominous or ominous-looking environment.


Well she sits by the light of her Christmas tree With the radio softly on
A woman sits under the warm light of her Christmas tree with the radio playing softly, potentially hinting at a sentimental and relaxed environment.


Thinkin' how a good man is so hard to find
The woman ruminates on how difficult it is to find a decent or respectable man.


Well once she had a fella Once she was somebody's girl And she gave all she had that one last time
The woman used to have a significant other and was known to be someone important in another's eyes, and she devoted everything she could to the relationship one final moment to no avail.


Now there's a little girl asleep in the back room She's gonna have to tell about the meanness in this world And how a good man is so hard to find
A young girl is sleeping in the room behind the woman, and the woman recognizes that she will have to explain how cruel the world can be and how difficult it is to come across a good male figure.


Well there's pictures on the table by her bed Him in his dress greens and her in her wedding white She remembers how the world was the day he left And now how that world is dead And a good man is so hard to find
By the woman's bedside table, there are photographs of the woman and her partner dressed in their wedding attire, reminding her of how things were on the day he departed, and how everything has been ruined since then, which emphasizes the difficulty of finding a reliable and trustworthy man.


She got no time now for Casanovas Yeah those days are gone She don't want that anymore, she's made up her mind
The woman is no longer in the mood for players or seducers anymore as her days of falling for them is over.


Just somebody to hold her As the night gets on When a good man is so hard to find
The woman is looking for someone who can keep her comfortable and secure through the night, particularly when it's rare to find a man who is kind-hearted and trustworthy.


Well she shuts off the TV And without a word Into bed she climbs
The woman turns the TV off and quietly ascends to bed without saying a word.


Well she thinks how it was all so wasted And how expendable their dreams all were When a good man was so hard to find
She reflects on how everything is over and how pointless their aspirations were, particularly when a good man is challenging to find.


Well it's cloudy out in Pittsburgh...
The song concludes with a reference to the weather in Pittsburgh, beginning almost as it started.




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

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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