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)
Held Up Without A Gun #1
Bruce Springsteen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Above earth's lamentation
I hear the real, thought far off hymn
That hails the new creation
Above the tumult and the strife,
I hear the music ringing;
It sounds an echo in my soul
How can I keep from singing?
What through the tempest loudly roars,
I hear the truth, it liveth
What through the darkness round me close,
Songs in the night it giveth
No storm can shake my inmost calm
While to that rock I'm clinging
Since love is lord of Heaven and earth
How can I keep from singing?
When tyrants tremble, sick with fear,
And hear their death-knell ringing,
When friends rejoice both far and near,
How can I keep from singing?
In prison cell and dungeon vile
Our thoughts to them are winging
When friends by shame are undefiled,
How can I keep from singing?
The lyrics presented here are actually the first verse of a hymn titled "How Can I Keep from Singing?", which has been covered and adapted by numerous artists throughout the years, including Bruce Springsteen in his song "Held Up Without A Gun". The hymn is a celebration of faith and the enduring power of song, even in the face of adversity and turmoil. The hymn writer finds solace in the music, which seems to connect them to a greater, more transcendent reality beyond the everyday struggles and suffering of life on earth.
Springsteen's version of the hymn retains the same uplifting, anthemic quality while adding his own lyrics that speak to the political and social realities of his time. The lines "When tyrants tremble, sick with fear/And hear their death-knell ringing" suggest a moment of revolution or uprising, where the powerful are suddenly brought low and the oppressed rise up in triumph. The final verse, which mentions "prison cell and dungeon vile", suggests that even in the bleakest and most oppressive circumstances, music and love can provide a source of dignity and hope.
Line by Line Meaning
My life flows on in endless song
My existence continues with a continuous rhythm
Above earth's lamentation
Despite the sorrow on this planet
I hear the real, thought far off hymn
I listen to the genuine, but distant melody
That hails the new creation
Welcoming a fresh beginning
Above the tumult and the strife,
Overcoming the chaos and conflict,
I hear the music ringing;
I listen to the sound resonating through me;
It sounds an echo in my soul
It reverberates inside my being;
How can I keep from singing?
How could I prevent myself from singing?
What through the tempest loudly roars,
Amidst the violent storm,
I hear the truth, it liveth
I hear the genuine, living reality
What through the darkness round me close,
Amidst the darkness that surrounds me,
Songs in the night it giveth
It presents songs in the night
No storm can shake my inmost calm
No tumult can disturb my inner peace
While to that rock I'm clinging
Because I hold onto that foundation firmly,
Since love is lord of Heaven and earth
As love governs the cosmos,
How can I keep from singing?
How could I prevent myself from singing?
When tyrants tremble, sick with fear,
When oppressors shake with anxiety,
And hear their death-knell ringing,
And listen to the sounds of their impending doom,
When friends rejoice both far and near,
When friends celebrate, whether near or far,
How can I keep from singing?
How could I prevent myself from singing?
In prison cell and dungeon vile
Even in a loathsome cell or dungeon
Our thoughts to them are winging
We send our thoughts to them,
When friends by shame are undefiled,
When friends remain pure despite disgrace,
How can I keep from singing?
How could I prevent myself from singing?
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind