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)
Goin
Bruce Springsteen Lyrics
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Like there was something big pressing down on his back
So he called up his friends and they said come on out west
It's a place where a man can really feel his succes
So he pulled his heart and soul down off the shelf
Packed them next to the faith that he'd lost in himself
Said his good-byes and when the dirty work was done
For seven days and nights like a black-top bird he sped
Maintained radio silence 'cept for in his head
And just like his folks did back in '69
He crossed the border at Needles and heard the promised land on the line
Now where the Transcontinental dumps into the sea
There's a bar made up to look like 1963
Girl in the corner eyed him like a hungry dog a bone
As he brushed the desert dust off that Mercedes chrome
Bartender said "Hey, how's it hangin', tiger?"
He had a shot of tequila, smiled and whispered "lighter"
He went down to the desert city where the rattlesnakes play
And left his dead skin by the roadside in the noon of day
Sun got so hot it almost felt like friend
It could burn out every trace of where you been
There was a woman he'd met in a desert song
A little while later a son come along
Looked at that boy's smile and called it home
And that night as he lay in bed the only voice he heard was his own
The lyrics to Bruce Springsteen's song "Goin' Cali" tell the story of a man who is feeling burdened by the pressures of his life and decides to take a journey out West to find success and himself. He packs up his heart and soul along with the lost faith in himself and sets out on a road trip that lasts for seven days and nights. He maintains a radio silence and only talks to himself in his head as he crosses the border from Needles to enter the promised land.
Upon arriving, he finds a bar that looks like it's from 1963 and catches the eye of a woman in the corner who desires him just as much as a hungry dog desires a bone. He has a tequila and feels lighter as he forgets about his past and the weight he had been feeling on his shoulders. He then ventures down to the desert city where he leaves behind his dead skin and feels the heat of the sun that could burn every trace of where he had been. He finds love in this new place when he meets a woman and has a son, and realizes that he has found a new sense of home. The song ends with him in bed listening to his own voice, relieved from the weight that had been holding him down.
The lyrics to Goin' Cali are an insightful reflection on the struggles that so many people face when they feel overwhelmed, lost and unsure of themselves. It tells the story of the journey that one may take to try and find themselves and a new sense of life. The song ties together the ideas of leaving behind old and dead skin that no longer serves you, finding a new home, and overcoming the struggles within yourself.
Line by Line Meaning
Well he'd been hearing too many voices and feelin'a little off-rack
He was feeling overwhelmed and confused, unable to think clearly due to the many voices he was hearing.
Like there was something big pressing down on his back
He felt like he was carrying a heavy burden that he couldn't shake off.
So he called up his friends and they said come on out west
His friends suggested that he should come to the west, where he could find success and clarity.
It's a place where a man can really feel his success
The west is a place where one can achieve great things and truly feel the reward.
So he pulled his heart and soul down off the shelf
He thought deeply about his emotions and what he truly wanted in life.
Packed them next to the faith that he'd lost in himself
He also packed away his doubts and insecurities about himself, hoping to regain his confidence.
Said his good-byes and when the dirty work was done
After settling any obligations back home, he said farewell and was ready to start a new chapter in his life.
He turned his wheels into the fading sun
He drove towards the setting sun, embracing the new beginning before him.
For seven days and nights like a black-top bird he sped
He drove non-stop for a week, like a bird soaring on the road.
Maintained radio silence 'cept for in his head
He kept quiet and avoided any outside distractions, instead focusing on his own thoughts.
And just like his folks did back in '69
He followed in his parents' footsteps, who also journeyed to the west in search of a better life in 1969.
He crossed the border at Needles and heard the promised land on the line
Upon crossing the border, he knew he was on the right path to finding his promised land.
Now where the Transcontinental dumps into the sea
In a specific location where the Transcontinental Highway ends and meets the ocean.
There's a bar made up to look like 1963
A nostalgic bar decor, resembling the 1960s era.
Girl in the corner eyed him like a hungry dog a bone
He noticed a woman who was interested in him, with a look of intense desire.
As he brushed the desert dust off that Mercedes chrome
After arriving at the bar, he cleaned off the dust from his car, which was covered after their long journey.
Bartender said "Hey, how's it hangin', tiger?"
He was greeted by the bartender, who used a friendly and informal tone of voice when speaking to him.
He had a shot of tequila, smiled and whispered "lighter"
He ordered a shot of tequila, feeling lighter and more free from his burdens.
He went down to the desert city where the rattlesnakes play
He traveled further down to a place where rattlesnakes were common.
And left his dead skin by the roadside in the noon of day
He metaphorically left behind his old self, shedding his skin and becoming a renewed person in the bright daylight.
Sun got so hot it almost felt like friend
The heat was intense, but also comforting, as it seemed to welcome him like an old friend.
It could burn out every trace of where you been
The scorching heat could erase all trace of his past, allowing him to start fresh.
There was a woman he'd met in a desert song
He encountered a woman in the desert, whose essence was so strong it seemed like a song.
A little while later a son come along
Eventually, he had a son with this woman.
Looked at that boy's smile and called it home
The happiness that this child brought him made him feel like he had finally found a true home.
And that night as he lay in bed the only voice he heard was his own
After everything he had been through and experienced, he was finally able to find peace and clarity, hearing only his own inner voice.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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