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)
County Fair #1
Bruce Springsteen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They stretch a banner 'cross the main street in town
You can feel somethin's happenin' in the air
Well, from Carol's house up on Telegraph Hill
You can see the lights going up out in Soldiers Field
Getting ready, for the county fair
County fair, county fair,
So come on, hey we're goin' down there
(hey) Little girl with the long blond hair
Come win your daddy one of them stuffed bears
Baby, down at the country fair
Now you'll be hangin' tight when we hit the top
And that rollercoaster's ready to drop
And your braggin', how you wasn't even scared
Well baby you know I just love the sound
Of that pipe organ on the merry-go-round
Baby, down at the county fair
County fair, county fair,
Everybody in town'll be there
So come on, hey we're goin' down there
(hey) Little girl with the long blond hair
Come win your daddy one of them stuffed bears
Baby, down at the country fair
At the north end of the field they set up a stand
And they got a little rock and roll band
People dancin' out in the open air
It's James Young and the Immortal Ones
Two guitars, (baby) bass and drums
Just rockin', down at the county fair
(well) County fair, county fair
Everybody in town'll be there
So come on, we're goin' down there
Little girl with the long blond hair
Come win your daddy one of them stuffed bears
Baby, down at the county fair
Now it's getting late before we head back to town
We let that fortune wheel spin around
Come on mister tell me what's waiting out there
On my way out I steal a kiss in the dark
Hope I can remember where our car's parked
Baby, out at the county fair
Now off down the highway there's the last stream of cars
We sit a while in my front yard
With the radio playin' soft and low
I pull Carol close to my heart
And I lean back and stare up at the stars
Oh I wish, I'd never have to let this moment go
In Bruce Springsteen's song "County Fair #2," the singer is describing the annual county fair that takes place in his hometown. The fair is a source of excitement and anticipation for the townspeople, as it brings together the entire community. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of what it's like at the fair, from the lights and sounds of the carnival rides to the rock and roll band playing in the open air.
The singer takes us through some of the iconic experiences of the fair, like riding the rollercoaster and spinning the fortune wheel. He also mentions stealing a kiss from his girlfriend in the dark, and feeling a sense of longing as the night draws to a close. Overall, the lyrics celebrate the joy and nostalgia of small-town life, and the sense of community that comes from gathering together to share in some summer fun.
Line by Line Meaning
Every year when summer comes around
The arrival of summer implies the annual county fair will also occur
They stretch a banner 'cross the main street in town
The main street in town is adorned with bright, colorful banners advertising the county fair
You can feel somethin's happenin' in the air
The atmosphere is electric and filled with excitement, everyone anticipating the upcoming county fair
Well, from Carol's house up on Telegraph Hill
The view from Carol's house, situated on top of Telegraph Hill, provides a clear vantage point of Soldiers Field - the fair venue
You can see the lights going up out in Soldiers Field
The lights going up in Soldiers Field indicate that the preparations for the county fair are being made well in advance
Getting ready, for the county fair
All the hustle and bustle revolves around the upcoming county fair
County fair, county fair,
The repetitive line stresses the excitement that the fair generates
Everybody in town'll be there
The community eagerly welcomes the annual county fair and people from all over town come together to celebrate
So come on, hey we're goin' down there
The invitation is extended to everyone to come together and enjoy the festivities
Little girl with the long blond hair
The address to the little girl with the long blond hair is an attempt to include everyone in the celebration
Come win your daddy one of them stuffed bears
The fair offers opportunities to win prizes, including stuffed bears to gift to family members
Now you'll be hangin' tight when we hit the top
The thrill of the rollercoaster is intense and riders hang tight at the peak when the coaster is ready to drop
And your braggin', how you wasn't even scared
After the ride, there is often talk of bravery in regards to the fear experienced during the ride
Well baby you know I just love the sound
The specific sounds of the fair, such as the pipe organ on the merry-go-round, are enjoyed by the singer
Of that pipe organ on the merry-go-round
The merry-go-round's pipe organ provided a unique sound that the singer remembers fondly
At the north end of the field they set up a stand
One section of Soldiers Field is designated for a stand to promote and listen to live music
And they got a little rock and roll band
The genre of the musical performers is rock and roll
People dancin' out in the open air
The fair provides a communal space for people to dance, enjoy live music, and embrace the outdoors
It's James Young and the Immortal Ones
The name of the rock and roll band is revealed to be James Young and the Immortal Ones
Two guitars, (baby) bass and drums
The instruments played by the band are the two guitars, bass guitar, and drums
Just rockin', down at the county fair
The energy from the live music contributes to the festive atmosphere of the county fair
Now it's getting late before we head back to town
As night falls, the festivities begin to wind down before the journey back home
We let that fortune wheel spin around
Before leaving the fair, the fortune wheel is spun, with anticipation of landing on a favorable outcome
Come on mister tell me what's waiting out there
The artist eagerly awaits to hear what the fortune wheel will reveal
On my way out I steal a kiss in the dark
The romantic atmosphere at the fair prompts the singer to steal a kiss from Carol under the cover of darkness
Hope I can remember where our car's parked
The excitement and distractions of the fair make it difficult to remember where the car is parked
Now off down the highway there's the last stream of cars
The fair concludes with a stream of cars driving away on the highway
We sit a while in my front yard
The artist and Carol take time to relax in the front yard after the fair
With the radio playin' soft and low
The radio softly plays in the background, providing a relaxing, peaceful ambiance
I pull Carol close to my heart
The singer intends to keep Carol in his heart after such a wonderful evening at the fair
And I lean back and stare up at the stars
The two lovers end their evening by taking a moment to enjoy the starry sky
Oh I wish, I'd never have to let this moment go
The memory of their time together at the county fair is cherished and the artist wishes it could continue indefinitely
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Saintinthecity1984
It is still beautiful but the version with that glorious choral outro is one of the greatest Bruce tracks that didn't make a studio album.