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)
Gypsy Biker
Bruce Springsteen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your momma's pulled the sheets up off your bed
Profiteers on James Street sold your shoes and clothes
Ain't nobody talkin' because everybody knows
We pulled your cycle up back the garage and polished up the chrome*
Our gypsy biker coming home
Sister Mary sits with your colors, but Johnny's drunk and gone
They would march up over the hill, this old fools parade
Shouting victory for the righteous for you must hear the grace
Ain't nobody talkin', but just waiting on the phone
Gypsy biker coming home
We rode into the foothills, Bobby brought the gasoline
We stood around the circle as she lit up the ravine
The spring hot desert wind rushed down on us all the way back home
To the dead, well it don't matter much 'bout who's wrong or right
You asked me that question, I didn't get it right
You slipped into your darkness, now all that remains
Is my love for you brother, life's still unchanged
To him that threw you away, you ain't nothing but gone
My gypsy biker's coming home
And now I'm out countin' white lines
Countin' white lines and getting stoned
My gypsy biker's coming home
La la la la
The song "Gypsy Biker" by Bruce Springsteen tells the story of a fallen soldier who is coming home after engaging in a war. The lyrics reveal the indifference of society towards veterans who have sacrificed their lives for the country. The line "The speculators made their money on the blood you shed" refers to the people who profit from the war and the death of soldiers. The following line speaks about the mother's grief, who must prepare her child's funeral while trying to come to terms with the loss of her loved one. The verse "Ain't nobody talking because everybody knows" signifies the silence and apathy of the society towards the sacrifices made by soldiers.
The lyrics further talk about the fallen soldier's return home and the reality check that he receives. The lines "This old town's been rousted, which side you on?" question the soldier's affiliation and loyalty in a society that has forgotten him. The following lines depict the futility of a lost cause, a "fool's parade" where the righteous shout victory without an end. The final lines reveal the pain and suffering of the soldier's loved ones, who are left to mourn his loss while the world carries on. The soldier's brother awaits his return, the only one to show him some compassion amidst society's indifference.
Line by Line Meaning
The speculators made their money on the blood you shed
Those who profit from war and tragedy made their fortunes from the sacrifices of brave soldiers like you.
Your momma's pulled the sheets up off your bed
Your mother is the one who mourns for you, who has made one last gesture of care and respect by tidying up.
Profiteers on James Street sold your shoes and clothes
Even the most basic things, like your footwear and clothing, have been sold off by people who saw an opportunity to make a quick buck from your misfortune.
Ain't nobody talkin' because everybody knows
People don't want to talk about the painful truths surrounding your fate because they all know it was senseless and tragic.
We pulled your cycle up back the garage and polished up the chrome*
We took care of your bike, which was one of your most prized possessions, as a way of honoring your memory.
Our gypsy biker coming home
Your spirit, which was always free and adventurous, is returning home to us now even though your body is gone.
Sister Mary sits with your colors, but Johnny's drunk and gone
One person is showing the proper respect for your belongings, while another is too caught up in their own misery to think of anything else.
This old town's been rousted, which side you on?
The town is in turmoil and there is pressure to take sides, but in the end it doesn't really matter - what matters is that you did what you could for your fellow humans.
They would march up over the hill, this old fools parade
Even now, people are still putting on a show of strength and patriotism, but it's clear that they don't understand or appreciate what true sacrifice really means.
Shouting victory for the righteous for you must hear the grace
The people who are posturing and pretending to be heroes are convinced that they are on the winning side, but they have no real understanding of what righteousness and grace truly mean.
Ain't nobody talkin', but just waiting on the phone
People are too grief-stricken or scared to speak out about what they really think, but they wait for some kind of message or sign that will help them make sense of it all.
Gypsy biker coming home
You are returning to us, embodying the spirit of adventure and freedom that defined your life.
We rode into the foothills, Bobby brought the gasoline
We remember the good times we spent on the road with you, and the way you always lit up the landscape with your energy.
We stood around the circle as she lit up the ravine
We recall the sense of community and camaraderie we felt when we were all together, all riding free and fearless.
The spring hot desert wind rushed down on us all the way back home
Even now, that feeling of the wind in our hair and the sun on our faces still fills us with a sense of joy and freedom.
To the dead, well it don't matter much 'bout who's wrong or right
When people are gone, the quarrels and disputes of the living tend to fade away in the face of a larger perspective.
You asked me that question, I didn't get it right
In life, we don't always say or do the right thing - but that doesn't mean we don't care deeply about those we love.
You slipped into your darkness, now all that remains
You succumbed to the darkness that was closing in on you, but your memory and your spirit endure even now.
Is my love for you brother, life's still unchanged
The love we felt for you during your life still burns strong, even though you are no longer with us in body.
To him that threw you away, you ain't nothing but gone
For the people who cast you aside or treated you poorly, you might be nothing more than a memory now - but to us, you are still vivid and real.
My gypsy biker's coming home
We know that your soul, your spirit, your love, is returning to us.
And now I'm out countin' white lines
In a way, we are all searching for a new path to follow now that you are gone.
Countin' white lines and getting stoned
Some of us might struggle to find meaning or purpose without you, and turn to substances or other distractions to fill the void.
My gypsy biker's coming home
But we still hold out hope that your spirit will return to lead us to new adventures and new horizons.
La la la la
Even though words might fail us, we can still express a kind of wordless love and longing for you.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind