"Bobby Jean" was one of the last songs from the album to be recorded, and was considered a musical breakthrough for Springsteen during the recording, with its more accented rhythm and near dance groove.
The title character's name is somewhat gender ambiguous, allowing for various interpretations. Nonetheless, "Bobby Jean" is often considered to have been written about his long-time friendship with Steve Van Zandt, who was leaving the E Street Band at the time: For example, Swedish journalist Richard Ohlsson made the interpretation in his book Bruce Springsteen: 16 Album that the title contained both a male and a female name because "the friendship with Bobby Jean is so strong that it's almost a kind of love." When this song is played live with the E Street Band, close ups of Van Zandt are often shown on the bigscreens.
Now you hung with me, when all the others turned away ... turned up their nose
We liked the same music — we liked the same bands — we liked the same clothes
We told each other, that we were the wildest, the wildest things we'd ever seen ...
The lyric turns to deeper emotions, which Springsteen biographer Dave Marsh characterized as "lines that mingle love, grief, and rancor", with the chorus summing:
Now I wished you would have told me —
I wished I could have talked to you —
Just to say goodbye, Bobby Jean ...
At the conclusion, Springsteen imagines the song's subject hearing the very song in a motel room, as Roy Bittan's piano riff that drives the song yields to a saxophone coda from Clarence Clemons and the recording fades out. Marsh suggests that Springsteen was not singing a farewell just to Van Zandt, but also to his own depressed Nebraska self. Nevertheless, use of minor to major altered chord in the last parts of the chorus lend the song a spirit of generosity.
The song has become one of Bruce Springsteen's more popular concert staples, with about 515 performances through 2008.
During the 1984-85 Born in the U.S.A. Tour, "Bobby Jean" appeared frequently throughout the shows with a loud audience response, during the 1988 Tunnel of Love Express, the song generally appeared first to last; though by the 1992-93 "Other Band" Tour, "Bobby Jean" was not heard during concerts. By the Ghost of Tom Joad Tour, the song was suddenly turned into a short four-minute performance with only Springsteen doing his opening on harmonica and acoustic guitar. It remained to have several performances on the Reunion Tour and only several times on the The Rising Tour.
By the Devils & Dust Tour, the acoustic version had turned given yet another warm welcome back by fans, however, by the start of the Sessions Band Tour, "Bobby Jean" appeared, still on acoustic guitar and harmonica only this time the large outfit were playing a folk-like tune in the back that made it sound rather depressing. Springsteen and the E Streeters since reverted to playing the original version on the late 2000s Magic Tour and Working on a Dream Tour, being occasionally setlisted, usually being heard in the band's encore. Springsteen performed "Bobby Jean" with Phish during their set at the 2009 Bonnaroo Music Festival.
The aggregation of critics' lists at acclaimedmusic.net did not place this song in its list of the top 3000 songs of all time, but rated it as one of the 1984 songs "bubbling under" the top 3000.
"Bobby Jean" was covered by Portastatic on their 2003 Autumn Was a Lark album.
Bobby Jean
Bruce Springsteen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, I came by your house the other day
Your mother said you went away
She said there was nothing that I could have done
There was nothing nobody could say
That me and you, we've known each other ever since we were sixteen
I wished I would have known
I wished I could have called you
Just to say goodbye, Bobby Jean
Now, you've hung with me when all the others
Turned away, turned up their nose
We liked the same music, we liked the same bands
We liked the same clothes
Yeah, we told each other that we were the wildest
The wildest things we'd ever seen
Now I wished you would have told me
I wished I could have talked to you
Just to say goodbye, Bobby Jean
Now, we went walking in the rain
Talking about the pain that from the world we hid
Now there ain't nobody, nowhere, nohow
Gonna ever understand me the way you did
But maybe you'll be out there on that road somewhere
Some bus or train that's traveling along
In some motel room, there'll be a radio playing
And you'll hear me sing this song
Well, if you do, you'll know I'm thinking of you
And all the miles in between
And I'm just calling one last time
Not to change your mind, but just to say I miss you, baby
Good luck, goodbye, Bobby Jean
The lyrics of "Bobby Jean" by Bruce Springsteen evoke feelings of nostalgia and lost friendship. It tells the story of two friends who have known each other since they were teenagers but have grown apart over time. The singer had tried to see his friend who seemingly had gone out of town abruptly without saying a word to anyone. The first verse highlights the singer's regret of not being able to say goodbye to his friend. The second verse touches on the memories they shared, from liking the same bands to being the wildest things each of them had ever seen. The last verse turns more reflective and has a somewhat hopeful tinge to it. The singer assumes that his friend is out there, maybe even listening to his song, and sharing the feeling of missed connections that each of them experiences.
Overall the song is an ode to friendship that's been lost, something everyone can relate to on some level. Bruce Springsteen has always been known for his songs that tell stories, and "Bobby Jean" is no different. Even though the song clearly signals the end, it feels more like a tribute to the friend that was lost momentarily, a testimony of a bond that time and distance couldn't erase.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I came by your house the other day
I recently visited your home
Your mother said you went away
Your mother informed me that you had departed
She said there was nothing that I could have done
She stated that there was no action I could have taken
There was nothing nobody could say
No words could have changed the situation
That me and you, we've known each other ever since we were sixteen
We have been friends since the age of sixteen
I wished I would have known
I regret not having been told
I wished I could have called you
I regret not having made a phone call to you
Just to say goodbye, Bobby Jean
Just to say farewell, Bobby Jean
Now, you've hung with me when all the others
You have stood by me when everyone else
Turned away, turned up their nose
Rejected me with contempt
We liked the same music, we liked the same bands
We shared a passion for the same musical genres and artists
We liked the same clothes
We enjoyed wearing similar clothing
Yeah, we told each other that we were the wildest
We boasted to each other about being the most daring and reckless people
The wildest things we'd ever seen
The most impressive or extreme things we had observed
Now I wished you would have told me
I regret that you did not inform me
I wished I could have talked to you
I regret that we did not have a conversation
Just to say goodbye, Bobby Jean
Just to say farewell, Bobby Jean
Now, we went walking in the rain
We walked together in the rain
Talking about the pain that from the world we hid
Discussing the struggles we kept hidden from others
Now there ain't nobody, nowhere, nohow
There is nobody, no place, no how
Gonna ever understand me the way you did
Will ever comprehend me as well as you did
But maybe you'll be out there on that road somewhere
You may be traveling somewhere
Some bus or train that's traveling along
On a bus or train that is in motion
In some motel room, there'll be a radio playing
In a motel room where a radio will be playing
And you'll hear me sing this song
And you will hear me perform this melody
Well, if you do, you'll know I'm thinking of you
If you hear it, you will comprehend that I am reminiscing about you
And all the miles in between
And the physical distance separating us
And I'm just calling one last time
And I am making one final phone call
Not to change your mind, but just to say I miss you, baby
Not to alter your decision, but just to express that I long for you, darling
Good luck, goodbye, Bobby Jean
Best of luck, goodbye, Bobby Jean
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bruce Springsteen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind