I'm A Coward
Bruce Springsteen Lyrics


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I ain't afraid of no lions
I ain't afraid of no grizzly bear
I got in a wrestlin' match with old king kong
He didn't even muss my hair
There's just one thing in the whole wide world
That make me doubt my stuff

I'm a coward when it comes to love

Now bring down old hulk hogan
King kong bundy too
Bring down old big mike tyson
I'll show them what a real man can do
They say the tougher' get goin'
Now baby that's when the goin' get tough

But I'm a coward when it comes to love
I'm a coward when it comes to love
I'm a coward when it comes to love



You can bring on a different sexy girl
At every night of the week
Buddy that's okay
But I start tremblin', my knees get weak
Whenever I hear her say
"do you love me baby? "
"do you love me baby? "
"do you love me baby? "

I got a muscle of iron
I got another muscle made of steel
But when we start kissin' 'n' huggin'
You may be the bravest man in the whole wide world
But buddy, that ain't enough

I'm a coward when it comes to love




I'm a coward when it comes to love
I'm a coward when it comes to love

Overall Meaning

Bruce Springsteen's "I'm a Coward" is a song about the fear of vulnerability and emotional risk-taking. The singer starts by declaring his bravery in facing physical challenges, such as wild animals and wrestling matches with famous athletes. However, when it comes to matters of the heart, the singer admits his cowardice. He is too afraid to confront his feelings and express his love for a woman. Despite his physical strength, his emotional weakness makes him feel like a coward.


The second verse is an extension of this theme. The singer is not afraid of casual relationships with women, but as soon as love is mentioned, he becomes anxious and fearful. The repetition of the question, "do you love me baby?" emphasizes the pressure the singer feels to express his emotions, which only makes him more afraid. The final lines of the song highlight the contrast between physical and emotional strength. The singer may have muscles of iron and steel, but they are no match for his fear of love.


Overall, "I'm a Coward" speaks to the universal fear of vulnerability and the difficulty of expressing emotions. The singer's inability to confront these fears and express his love is relatable to many people who have struggled with similar situations.


Line by Line Meaning

I ain't afraid of no lions
I am not scared of tigers or other large animals.


I ain't afraid of no grizzly bear
I am not scared of grizzly bears or other wild animals.


I got in a wrestlin' match with old king kong
I fought with a giant monkey named King Kong


He didn't even muss my hair
I was not hurt in the fight with King Kong.


There's just one thing in the whole wide world
There is only one thing that scares me.


That make me doubt my stuff
That makes me lose confidence in myself.


I'm a coward when it comes to love
I am scared of being in love.


Now bring down old hulk hogan
Challenge me with famous wrestlers like Hulk Hogan.


King kong bundy too
I am ready to fight famous wrestlers like King Kong Bundy.


Bring down old big mike tyson
Challenge me with famous boxers like Mike Tyson.


I'll show them what a real man can do
I am confident in my abilities to fight.


They say the tougher' get goin'
When things get hard, strong people keep working.


Now baby that's when the goin' get tough
But when it comes to love, I am scared.


You can bring on a different sexy girl
I can date many different attractive women.


At every night of the week
Different women for each night.


Buddy that's okay
That is nothing to worry about.


But I start tremblin', my knees get weak
But when it comes to being in love, I get very nervous.


Whenever I hear her say "do you love me baby?"
Whenever a woman asks me if I love her.


I got a muscle of iron
I am very physically strong.


I got another muscle made of steel
I have a lot of inner strength and courage.


But when we start kissin' 'n' huggin'
But when the woman and I get physically intimate.


You may be the bravest man in the whole wide world
Even if I am very brave in other areas of my life.


But buddy, that ain't enough
It is not enough to overcome my fear of being in love.


I'm a coward when it comes to love
My fear of being in love makes me a coward.




Contributed by Elena A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@fxx1

Esa intro, el monΓ³logo de Bruce, los coros de Patty y la voz de Clarence.....muy bello todo.

@kittykatkafe

WOAH!! Almost set the stage on fire, huh?!! I love Bruce and Patti! They are such a cute and great couple! I just bought her album Rumble Doll. I love every song and I highly recommend it to everyone! Can't wait to get the others! I saw Bruce and the E Street Band in August and they were amazing! Unfrotunately, Patti wasn't with them:(

@vegaskevvy

I caught Bruce on this tour in Detroit. This song was an absolute blast. Of course, Bruce was still w/ his first wife at the time. My friends & I afterward remarked on the obvious chemistry between Patti & Bruce.

@fajjan

I was there. The second part was an excellent soul revue pastiche. It was my way into classic soul. I drΓ³ve home from the concert and the first thing I did the following day was buying an Atlantic Soul compilation. I get goose bumps watching it now.

@luissanzherrero7605

This video from 1988 Tour help to me to explain myself how I was VERY IMPRESSED that 2nd of August 1988, my FIRST BRUCE Live concert in Madrid (IMPRESIONANTE se day on Spain) when I was 21 years old, today 34 years after with 55, I only can say THANKS BRUCE & E STREET for allΓ­ these years enjoying your VERY good work.

@catherinef87

One of the sexiest men alive!

@jasonharshman5397

Patti has never looked hotter than she did on this tour

@dustbinhooverbag

Youre damn right !

@connorsrockincollection2248

Jason Harshman Julianne Phillips way better

@anelladambrosio2513

Una performance molto divertenti!!! πŸ˜ŒπŸ˜‚πŸ˜³πŸ˜πŸ˜˜πŸ’˜πŸŽΈπŸ’‹πŸ’―

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