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)
Devil's Arcade
Bruce Springsteen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The worms in the barrel, the hanging sun
Those first nervous evenings of perfume and gin
The lost smell on your breath as I helped you get it in
The rush of your lips, the feel of your name
The beat in your heart, the devil's arcade
You said "Heroes are needed, so heroes get made"
The cool desert morning and nothing to save
Just metal and plastic where your body caved
The slow games of poker with Lieutenant Ray
In the ward with the blue walls, a sea with no name
Where you lie adrift with the heroes of the devil's arcade
You sleep and you dream, your buddies Charlie and James
And wake with a thick desert dust on your skin
Voice says "don't worry, I'm here
Just whisper the word tomorrow in my ear"
House on a quiet street, a home for the brave
A glorious kingdom with the sun on your face
Rising from a long night as dark as the grave
On a thin chain of next moments and something like faith
On a morning to order a breakfast to make
A bed draped in sunshine, a body that waits
For the touch of your fingers, the end of the day
The beat of your heart, the beat of your heart
The beat of your heart, the beat of your heart
The beat of your heart, the beat of her heart
The beat of your heart, the slow burning away
Of the bitter fires of the devil's arcade
[Terri's Song Begins]
Well they built the Titanic to be one of a kind, but many ships have ruled the seas
They built the Eiffel Tower to stand alone, but they could build another if they please
Taj Mahal, the pyramids of Egypt, are unique I suppose
But when they built you, brother, they broke the mold
Now the world is filled with many wonders under the passing sun
And sometimes something comes along and you know it's for sure the only one
The Mona Lisa, the David, the Sistine Chapel, Jesus, Mary, and Joe
And when they built you, brother, they broke the mold
When they built you, brother, they turned dust into gold
When they built you, brother, they broke the mold
They say you can't take it with you, but I think that they're wrong
'Cause all I know is I woke up this morning, and something big was gone
Gone into that dark ether where you're still young and hard and cold
Just like when they built you, brother, they broke the mold
Now your death is upon us and we'll return your ashes to the earth
And I know you'll take comfort in knowing you've been roundly blessed and cursed
But love is a power greater than death, just like the songs and stories told
And when she built you, brother, she broke the mold
That attitude's a power stronger than death, alive and burning her stone cold
When they built you, brother
The lyrics of Bruce Springsteen’s “Devil’s Arcade” tell the story of a soldier’s experience in war and the aftermath of returning home. The opening lines describe a powerful image of digging up the soldier’s gun, which has worms in the barrel, and the sun hanging in the sky. The memories of his first experiences with a woman linger on his mind, the smell of her perfume and gin on her breath. The lines “Heroes are needed, so heroes get made” and “Somebody made a bet, somebody paid” suggest that he enlisted in the military with a sense of duty and honor but came to realize that war-making is often motivated by more insidious factors.
The soldier returns home with memories of his fallen comrades and the trauma of war that follow him even in his dreams. The lines “On a thin chain of next moments and something like faith” suggest the soldier’s struggle to make sense of his experiences and find a way forward. The lyrics then shift to a second speaker, possibly the soldier’s lover or loved one, who speaks of love being a power greater than death. The final lines describe how the soldier’s legacy is to have broken the mold and to have been a unique and powerful presence in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Remember the morning we dug up your gun
Recollection of a past event when a gun was removed from a location
The worms in the barrel, the hanging sun
The visual description of the environment during the event
Those first nervous evenings of perfume and gin
Description of the early stages of a romantic relationship filled with excitement and anticipation
The lost smell on your breath as I helped you get it in
Recalling the smell of alcohol on another person's breath and the moment when that person first introduced something toxic into their body
The rush of your lips, the feel of your name
The physical sensations of kissing and being called by one's name in a romantic context
The beat in your heart, the devil's arcade
The intense emotions and feelings that come with a passionate relationship that is in some ways self-destructive
You said "Heroes are needed, so heroes get made"
A reflection on the human desire for heroism and the willingness to take risks and face danger in order to become one
Somebody made a bet, somebody paid
The idea that there are stakes involved in life and that at times decisions are made without regard for the potential outcomes
The cool desert morning and nothing to save
A reference to the harsh and unforgiving environment of a desert and the feeling of being helpless and alone
Just metal and plastic where your body caved
The aftermath of a violent event resulting in physical injury or death
The slow games of poker with Lieutenant Ray
The act of playing a leisurely card game in a high-stress environment and with people who may not be trustworthy
In the ward with the blue walls, a sea with no name
The monotony and uniformity of a hospital or institutional setting and the feeling of being lost or isolated
Where you lie adrift with the heroes of the devil's arcade
A reference to being surrounded by others who have experienced similar traumatic events and the shared burden of trying to move on from them
You sleep and you dream, your buddies Charlie and James
The act of dreaming and recalling memories of people who are no longer present or who have died
And wake with a thick desert dust on your skin
The sense of physical and emotional exhaustion that can come from experiencing trauma
Voice says "don't worry, I'm here
The idea that there is a voice or presence that can comfort and provide reassurance during difficult times
Just whisper the word tomorrow in my ear"
A representation of hope and the desire to move forward from a painful experience
House on a quiet street, a home for the brave
A peaceful and calm environment that provides a sense of security and safety to those who have experienced trauma
A glorious kingdom with the sun on your face
A metaphorical representation of a happy and fulfilling life in which one is content and at peace
Rising from a long night as dark as the grave
The emergence from a difficult or traumatic event into a brighter and more positive future
On a thin chain of next moments and something like faith
The idea that life is a continuous series of events joined together, and that faith can play a role in helping one navigate through difficult times
On a morning to order a breakfast to make
A reference to the simple everyday routines that can bring comfort and stability to a person's life
A bed draped in sunshine, a body that waits
A serene and peaceful image of a person waiting for the start of a new day
For the touch of your fingers, the end of the day
The idea that physical touch can bring comfort and emotional support at the end of a long day
The beat of your heart, the beat of your heart
A reference to the idea that life goes on, represented by the steady beat of the heart
The beat of your heart, the beat of her heart
A representation of the connection between two people and the shared experience of life
The beat of your heart, the slow burning away
A representation of the passage of time and the gradual fading of the intense emotions and experiences of the past
Of the bitter fires of the devil's arcade
The pain and struggle of a difficult and traumatic experience, represented metaphorically by a fiery and destructive arcade game
Well they built the Titanic to be one of a kind, but many ships have ruled the seas
A metaphorical reflection on the uniqueness of human beings and their experiences, and the beautiful and complex diversity of humanity
They built the Eiffel Tower to stand alone, but they could build another if they please
A reflection on the idea that while there may be unique and beautiful creations in the world, there is always the possibility of creating something new and beautiful to add to the world
Taj Mahal, the pyramids of Egypt, are unique I suppose
An acknowledgment of the incredible and breathtaking physical structures that have been created throughout human history
But when they built you, brother, they broke the mold
An expression of admiration and awe for a person who is truly unique and special in their own way
Now the world is filled with many wonders under the passing sun
An observation of the many amazing and beautiful things in the world
And sometimes something comes along and you know it's for sure the only one
An acknowledgment of the rare and special moments or people in life
The Mona Lisa, the David, the Sistine Chapel, Jesus, Mary, and Joe
A reference to some of the iconic and revered figures and works of art in human history
And when they built you, brother, they broke the mold
A continuation of the idea that a person is truly unique and special, and worthy of recognition and admiration for their individuality
When they built you, brother, they turned dust into gold
An expression of the idea that a person's individuality and uniqueness can turn something ordinary or seemingly worthless into something truly valuable and beautiful
They say you can't take it with you, but I think that they're wrong
An assertion that a person's legacy and impact can live on after they have passed away
'Cause all I know is I woke up this morning, and something big was gone
A reflection on the loss and void that is felt after someone has passed away
Gone into that dark ether where you're still young and hard and cold
A reference to the concept of the afterlife and the idea that a person's spirit lives on after their physical body has died
Just like when they built you, brother, they broke the mold
A connection between a person's unique individuality and the concept of transcendence after death
Now your death is upon us and we'll return your ashes to the earth
A recognition of the finality of death and the rituals associated with it
And I know you'll take comfort in knowing you've been roundly blessed and cursed
An expression of the belief that even in death, a person's life had meaning and purpose
But love is a power greater than death, just like the songs and stories told
A metaphorical expression of the idea that love can endure even after death, and that the stories and memories of a person can continue to be shared and celebrated
And when she built you, brother, she broke the mold
A repetition of the earlier idea of a person's unique individuality and value
That attitude's a power stronger than death, alive and burning her stone cold
The idea that a person's attitude and outlook on life can be so powerful and inspirational that it can transcend even death
When they built you, brother
A repeated reference to the uniqueness and value of a person's individuality
they broke the mold
A concluding statement that reinforces the idea of the value and worth of a person's individuality and unique qualities
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind