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)
Heaven
Bruce Springsteen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Raise your hand, raise your hand, raise your hand)
(Raise your hand, raise your hand, raise your hand)
(Raise your hand, raise your hand, raise your hand)
One, two, three, four (Raise your hand, raise your hand, raise your hand)
(Raise your hand, raise your hand, raise your hand)
There was a woman waiting at the well
She said, "It'll heal the blind, raise the dead, cure the sickness out of you"
Come on men of Gideon
Come on men of Saul
Come on sons of Abraham
We waiting outside heaven's wall
Raise your hand, raise your hand, raise your hand
Raise your hand, raise your hand, raise your hand
And together we'll walk into Canaan land
Raise your hand, raise your hand, raise your hand
He saw a watcher at the city gates
Jonah in the belly of the whale
He watched you walk your ragged mile
His mercy did not fail
(Raise your hand, raise your hand, raise your hand)
(Raise your hand, raise your hand, raise your hand)
And together we'll walk into Canaan land
(Raise your hand, raise your hand, raise your hand)
Hey!
Li li-li li, li li-li li
(Li li-li li, li li-li li)
Whoa! Whoa!
Raise your hand, raise your hand, raise your hand
Raise your hand, raise your hand, raise your hand
And together we'll walk into Canaan land
Raise your hand, raise your hand, raise your hand
Raise your hand, raise your hand, raise your hand
Raise your hand, raise your hand, raise your hand
And together we'll walk into Canaan land
Raise your hand, raise your hand, raise your hand
(Raise your hand, raise your hand, raise your hand)
(Raise your hand, raise your hand, raise your hand)
And together we'll walk into Canaan land
(Raise your hand, raise your hand, raise your hand)
(Raise your hand, raise your hand, raise your hand)
(Raise your hand, raise your hand, raise your hand)
And together we'll walk into Canaan land
(Raise your hand, raise your hand, raise your hand)
"Heaven's Wall" is a song by Bruce Springsteen that recognizes the power of faith and the human impulse to seek salvation. The lyrics heavily feature religious imagery, such as the reference to Gideon, Saul, and Abraham, as well as the miracle stories of healing and resurrection. The song describes a group of people gathered outside the gates of heaven, waiting to be let in. The chorus repeatedly urges the listener to raise their hand as a way of signalling their desire to enter the promised land of Canaan.
The woman waiting at the well is likely a reference to the story of the Samaritan woman at the well in the Christian bible, who meets Jesus and is promised that the water he offers will lead to eternal life. The watcher at the city gates and Jonah in the belly of the whale both point to biblical stories in which God shows mercy and forgiveness to those who have strayed from the path. The overall message of the song seems to be that no matter what sins we may have committed or what roadblocks we have faced, there is always hope for redemption and a chance to enter paradise.
Line by Line Meaning
Raise your hand, raise your hand, raise your hand
Encouraging listeners to join in and show their commitment.
Raise your hand, raise your hand, raise your hand
Repeating the call to action.
Raise your hand, raise your hand, raise your hand
Continuing to urge participation.
Raise your hand, raise your hand, raise your hand
Concluding the chorus with the same rallying cry.
One, two, three, four (Raise your hand, raise your hand, raise your hand)
Counting down to the start of the song.
There was a woman waiting at the well
Describing a biblical scene.
Drawing water 'neath the desert sky blue
Setting a vivid backdrop.
She said, "It'll heal the blind, raise the dead, cure the sickness out of you"
Quoting what the woman claimed.
Come on men of Gideon
Inviting a specific group of people.
Come on men of Saul
Encouraging another specific group of people.
Come on sons of Abraham
Including a broader range of people.
We waiting outside heaven's wall
Describing where the referenced people are congregating.
He saw a watcher at the city gates
Referring to another biblical figure.
Jonah in the belly of the whale
Alluding to a famous story.
He watched you walk your ragged mile
Suggesting someone has been through a difficult journey.
His mercy did not fail
Highlighting an important aspect of the referenced figure.
Hey!
Adding a bit of emphasis.
Li li-li li, li li-li li
Nonverbal vocalizations that carry the melody.
(Li li-li li, li li-li li)
Repeating the nonverbal vocalizations.
Whoa! Whoa!
Adding a bit of excitement.
And together we'll walk into Canaan land
Connecting the previous lyrics to the chorus.
Raise your hand, raise your hand, raise your hand
Reiterating the call to action.
Raise your hand, raise your hand, raise your hand
Continuing the reiteration.
Raise your hand, raise your hand, raise your hand
Ending the song with the same encouragement.
Raise your hand, raise your hand, raise your hand
Concluding the song with the same call to action.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind