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)
Border Guard [
Bruce Springsteen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bless on the border guard so cold and alone
Bless on the child so far from his home
Pity the border guard who feels like a woman to cry
Pity the border guard whose life guards the line
A light is a funny thing
A border sometime
Use only to divine
I pity the refugee whose home lies behind
I pity the border guard and his border line
He keeps his machine gun nose pointed to the sky
The night time is his master
And you know the dawn light brings his captor
And I pity the border guard as he walks, well as he walks his own
The echo of his foot steps is all a friend would know
A home is a funny thing
You get tied to the earth
Like a love is a crazy thing
In the eye of a child
I Pity the border guard whose soul taken captive at birth
May the sweet brace of his grief and show him how to be so wild
Yes a light is a funny thing
A border sometimes
A light is a hurting thing
Used only to divine
He who made the open plains and the world one and all
Could not have conceived with a barbed wire brain
For the building of the wall and at night I keep my fire bright
So that I may be safe when I sleep
Till I wake on that wonderful morning with no more light well ooh
The song "Border Guard" is a poignant reflection on borders, both physical and metaphorical, and the toll they take on those who guard and those who are kept out. The lyrics offer a compassionate perspective for both sides of the border. The border guard, who is tasked with protecting the border and keeping people out, is painted as someone who is lonely and isolated. The line "Bless on the border guard so cold and alone" reveals the song's underlying compassion. The song also acknowledges that borders are human constructions that often lead to suffering, particularly for refugees and immigrants who are forced from their homes. The lines "I pity the refugee whose home lies behind / I pity the border guard and his border line" show that the song recognizes the complexity of the situation and the human cost of dividing land.
The song also uses metaphor to explore the idea of borders. The line "A light is a funny thing / A border sometimes" speaks to the idea that borders are not always distinct and easily defined. The following line "A light is a hurting thing / Use only to divine" suggests both the danger and the possibility of crossing a border. The song also touches on the idea of home, showing that it is a complex and multifaceted concept. The lines "A home is a funny thing / You get tied to the earth" suggest that home is more than just a physical place, it is also a sense of belonging and connection to the land. Overall, "Border Guard" is a thoughtful and introspective song that encourages empathy and compassion for those who are impacted by borders and division.
Line by Line Meaning
Bless on the border guard so cold and alone
Offer a blessing to the border guard who is isolated and desolate
Bless on the child so far from his home
Offer a blessing to the child who is distant from their home
Pity the border guard who feels like a woman to cry
Have sympathy for the border guard who feels vulnerable and emotional
Pity the border guard whose life guards the line
Have sympathy for the border guard whose existence is to protect the border
A light is a funny thing
Light can be ironic
A border sometime
A border can be ambiguous at times
A light is a hurting thing
Light can be painful to see
Use only to divine
Only use light to gain insight or understanding
I pity the refugee whose home lies behind
Have sympathy for the refugee who has left their home behind
I pity for the border guard and his border line
Have sympathy for the border guard and his duty to protect the border
He keeps his machine gun nose pointed to the sky
The border guard is always alert and prepared
The night time is his master
The border guard is ruled by the night and its cover
And you know the dawn light brings his captor
The morning light reveals the border guard's vulnerability
And I pity the border guard as he walks, well as he walks his own
Have sympathy for the border guard as he patrols his own territory
The echo of his foot steps is all a friend would know
The border guard's footsteps are his only companionship
A home is a funny thing
A home can be strange or unpredictable
You get tied to the earth
Your home connects you to the land
Like a love is a crazy thing
Love can be unpredictable or illogical
In the eye of a child
A child's perspective can be pure or innocent
I Pity the border guard whose soul taken captive at birth
Have sympathy for the border guard who was destined to protect the border from birth
May the sweet brace of his grief and show him how to be so wild
May the border guard find comfort in his sadness and learn how to be free-spirited
Yes a light is a funny thing
Light can be ironic
He who made the open plains and the world one and all
God created the world and everything in it
Could not have conceived with a barbed wire brain
God did not intend for borders and barriers
For the building of the wall and at night I keep my fire bright
The singer keeps a fire burning to protect themselves from danger
So that I may be safe when I sleep
The fire provides safety and security while the singer sleeps
Till I wake on that wonderful morning with no more light well ooh
The singer longs for the day when there are no more borders or barriers
Contributed by Anthony L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@xlhsxl8844
My name is Joe Roberts, I work for the state
I'm a sergeant out of Perrineville Barracks Number 8
I always done an honest job—as honest as I could
I got a brother named Frankie, and Frankie ain't no good
Now, ever since we was young kids, it's been the same comedown
I get a call on the shortwave: Frankie's in trouble downtown
Well, if it was any other man, I'd put him straight away
But when it's your brother, sometimes, you look the other way
Me and Frankie laughing and drinking, nothing feels better than blood on blood
Taking turns dancing with Maria as the band played "Night of the Johnstown Flood"
I catch him when he's straying, like any brother would
A man turns his back on his family, well, he just ain't no good
Well, Frankie went in the army back in 1965
I got a farm deferment, settled down, took Maria for my wife
But them wheat prices kept on dropping 'til it was like we were getting robbed
Frankie came home in '68, and me, I took this job
Yeah, we're laughing and drinking, nothing feels better than blood on blood
Taking turns dancing with Maria as the band played "Night of the Johnstown Flood"
I catch him when he's straying, teach him how to walk that line
A man turns his back on his family, he ain't no friend of mine
Well, the night was like any other, I got a call 'bout quarter to nine
There was trouble in a roadhouse out on the Michigan line
There was a kid lying on the floor, looking bad, bleeding hard from his head
There was a girl crying at a table, and it was Frank, they said
Well, I went out and I jumped in my car, and I hit the lights
Well, I must've done one hundred and ten through Michigan County that night
It was out at the crossroads, down 'round Willow Bank
Seen a Buick with Ohio plates; behind the wheel was Frank
Well, I chased him through them county roads
'Til a sign said "Canadian border, five miles from here"
I pulled over on the side of the highway and watched his taillights disappear
Me and Frankie laughing and drinking, nothing feels better than blood on blood
Taking turns dancing with Maria as the band played "Night of the Johnstown Flood"
I catch him when he's straying, like any brother would
A man turns his back on his family, well, he just ain't no good
@loganwhite5016
My brother and I were polar opposites in just about every way, but at the end of the day there wasn’t anything stopping us from sharing a beer together, and laughing the night away.
He passed away about two years ago from a drug overdose. I always come back to this song, and it makes me think of him. That no matter what darkness he was traveling through, at the end of the day he was still my brother, through thick and thin. I’ll always miss him.
@E_Chap
Cheers to your brother man. I'm sorry he took that path, but it sounds like you guys had some good memories.
@andrevandebruck756
🙏🏼🍻 cheers to your brother and you🙏🏼
@katanaki3059
The lyrics are masterful. The Nebraska album was life changing
@gloriadoidge8422
Respect to the friends of my daughter Lesha Walker,Favona Road Mangere,NZ.Your lovely Falcon,was stolen, You were good people,I hope life has been good.I know you liked Bruce.My friend, now owns a Falcon replica, I think of you,every time,we drive,Cheers.Gloria.xxx
@linsayspence7070
One of Bruce's greatest songs.
@martystamey69
But it's not Bruce's song it's Johnny Cash
@marchomeslice1
@Marty Stamey Actually Springsteen wrote it and it first appeared in his Nebraska record in 1982.
@TheSpiritOfTheTimes
Gayest
@abc-bu7nr
I love Johnny but for me it doesn't come close to this
Hurt, on the other hand is all Johnny