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)
Dancing In the Dark
Bruce Springsteen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I ain't got nothin' to say
I come home in the mornin'
I go to bed feelin' the same way
I ain't nothin' but tired
Man, I'm just tired and bored with myself
Hey there, baby, I could use just a little help
You can't start a fire without a spark
This gun's for hire
Even if we're just dancin' in the dark
Messages keeps gettin' clearer
Radio's on and I'm movin' 'round my place
I check my look in the mirror
Wanna change my clothes, my hair, my face
Man, I ain't gettin' nowhere
I'm just livin' in a dump like this
There's somethin' happenin' somewhere
Baby, I just know that there is
You can't start a fire
You can't start a fire without a spark
This gun's for hire
Even if we're just dancin' in the dark
You sit around gettin' older
There's a joke here somewhere and it's on me
I'll shake this world off my shoulders
Come on, baby, the laugh's on me
Stay on the streets of this town
And they'll be carvin' you up alright
They say you gotta stay hungry
Hey baby, I'm just about starvin' tonight
I'm dyin' for some action
I'm sick of sittin' 'round here tryin' to write this book
I need a love reaction
Come on now, baby, gimme just one look
You can't start a fire
Sittin' 'round cryin' over a broken heart
This gun's for hire
Even if we're just dancin' in the dark
You can't start a fire
Worryin' about your little world fallin' apart
This gun's for hire
Even if we're just dancin' in the dark
Even if we're just dancin' in the dark
Even if we're just dancin' in the dark
Even if we're just dancin' in the dark
Hey baby
In Bruce Springsteen's hit song "Dancing in the Dark," the singer expresses his restlessness and dissatisfaction with his life. He begins by describing his monotonous routine of going out at night without any real purpose, only to come home feeling tired and unfulfilled. He craves a little help in the form of some excitement or inspiration. The song's chorus emphasizes the idea that in order to make a change in his life, he needs a spark to ignite the fire within him. He offers himself as a "gun for hire," so to speak, willing to take on any challenge or opportunity that comes his way.
As the song progresses, he continues to analyze his life and the world around him. He mentions the passing of time and the feeling of being stuck, unable to make progress. He desires to shake off this feeling of stagnation by making a change in his appearance and attitude. He feels that something important is happening somewhere in the world, and he wants to be a part of it, to experience the thrill of living fully. The song's final verse reveals that he has been writing a book, but he is growing restless with the process and craves a love reaction, or some inspiration to make the words come alive.
Overall, the song is both a commentary on modern life and a call to action to break out of the monotony and find fulfillment in something extraordinary. It urges the listener to take risks, to embrace change, and to pursue their passions with vigor.
Line by Line Meaning
I get up in the evenin'
I wake up in the evening
And I ain't got nothin' to say
I have nothing to say
I come home in the mornin'
I return home in the morning
I go to bed feelin' the same way
I go to bed feeling the same as when I woke up
I ain't nothin' but tired
I'm just exhausted
Man, I'm just tired and bored with myself
I'm bored with myself and my own life
Hey there, baby, I could use just a little help
Hey there, I could use some help
You can't start a fire
You cannot ignite a fire
You can't start a fire without a spark
You need a spark to ignite a fire
This gun's for hire
I am available for hire
Even if we're just dancin' in the dark
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Messages keeps gettin' clearer
The message is becoming clearer to me
Radio's on and I'm movin' 'round my place
The radio is playing and I'm moving around my house
I check my look in the mirror
I look at myself in the mirror
Wanna change my clothes, my hair, my face
I want to change my clothes, my hair, my face
Man, I ain't gettin' nowhere
I'm not getting anywhere
I'm just livin' in a dump like this
I'm just living in a place like this
There's somethin' happenin' somewhere
There's something happening somewhere
Baby, I just know that there is
I just know that there is
You sit around gettin' older
You sit around and age
There's a joke here somewhere and it's on me
There's a joke somewhere and I am the punchline
I'll shake this world off my shoulders
I'll get rid of this burden on my shoulders
Come on, baby, the laugh's on me
Come on, baby, make fun of me
Stay on the streets of this town
Stay on the streets of this town
And they'll be carvin' you up alright
They will harm you
They say you gotta stay hungry
They say that you must stay motivated
Hey baby, I'm just about starvin' tonight
Hey baby, I'm really hungry tonight
I'm dyin' for some action
I'm desperate for some excitement
I'm sick of sittin' 'round here tryin' to write this book
I'm tired of sitting here and trying to write this book
I need a love reaction
I need love
Come on now, baby, gimme just one look
Please give me a chance
Sittin' 'round cryin' over a broken heart
Crying over a broken heart
Worryin' about your little world fallin' apart
Worrying about everything falling apart
Even if we're just dancin' in the dark
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Even if we're just dancin' in the dark
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Even if we're just dancin' in the dark
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Hey baby
Hey baby
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bruce Springsteen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind