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)
Jesus Was an Only Son
Bruce Springsteen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As he walked up Calvary Hill
His mother Mary walking beside him
In the path where his blood spilled
Jesus was an only son
In the hills of Nazareth
As he lay reading the Psalms of David
At his mother's feet
A mother prays, "Sleep tight, my child, sleep well
For I'll be at your side
That no shadow, no darkness, no tolling bell,
Shall pierce your dreams this night."
In the garden at Gethsemane
He prayed for the life he'd never live,
He beseeched his Heavenly Father to remove
The cup of death from his lips
Now there's a loss that can never be replaced,
A destination that can never be reached,
A light you'll never find in another's face,
A sea whose distance cannot be breached
Well Jesus kissed his mother's hands
Whispered, "Mother, still your tears,
For remember the soul of the universe
Willed a world and it appeared."
Bruce Springsteen’s song “Jesus Was an Only Son” is a poignant portrayal of Jesus’ life, death, and the sorrow of his mother, Mary. The use of descriptive imagery from childhood to his eventual crucifixion is masterfully woven to connect the listeners with the emotions evoked from Mary's perspective. The opening verse sets the tone, and immediately draws attention to the fact that Jesus was Mary's only son. The second verse focuses on Jesus’ life in the hills of Nazareth, where he read the Psalms of David at his mother’s feet. The lyrics paint a picture of a devoted mother-son relationship.
The following verse describes a mother's prayer - a heart-wrenching lament - beseeching God to protect Jesus from the horrors that await him. The fourth verse moves to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus pleaded with God to release him from the suffering that awaited him. The final verse portrays the moment of Jesus’ death, the deep sense of loss felt by those who loved him, and the closeness of his mother who felt the ultimate pain of seeing her only son die before her very eyes.
Overall, the song delivers a beautiful message even for non-religious listeners. It speaks to the love of a mother for her son and the pain that comes from watching a loved one suffer and ultimately die. It's also an evocative meditation on life and death.
Line by Line Meaning
Well Jesus was an only son
Jesus was the only child his mother Mary ever gave birth to.
As he walked up Calvary Hill
Jesus was walking up the hill where he was to be crucified.
His mother Mary walking beside him
Mary, the mother of Jesus, was walking up the hill with him.
In the path where his blood spilled
The path that Jesus and Mary walked on was where Jesus's blood would ultimately be shed.
Jesus was an only son
Once again, this line serves as a reminder that Jesus was Mary's only child.
In the hills of Nazareth
Nazareth is where Jesus grew up with his family before beginning his ministry.
As he lay reading the Psalms of David
Jesus was reading the biblical book of Psalms, written by David, while lying at his mother's feet.
At his mother's feet
Mary is present in this scene, likely showing support for her son as he reads the Psalms.
A mother prays, "Sleep tight, my child, sleep well
Mary is praying for Jesus to have a peaceful night's sleep.
For I'll be at your side
Mary promises to be with Jesus, even in spirit, while he sleeps.
That no shadow, no darkness, no tolling bell,
Mary is asking for protection for Jesus, so that no evil or harm will come to him.
Shall pierce your dreams this night."
Mary is hoping that Jesus will have good dreams and not be disturbed by any negative thoughts or fears.
In the garden at Gethsemane
Jesus and his disciples were in the garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus was arrested and later crucified.
He prayed for the life he'd never live,
Jesus is praying for the life he wishes he could have had, where he could live as a normal person without the burden of being the Messiah.
He beseeched his Heavenly Father to remove
Jesus is asking God to take away
The cup of death from his lips
the burden of having to die for the world's sins.
Now there's a loss that can never be replaced,
This line suggests that the loss of Jesus was a significant, irreplaceable moment in history.
A destination that can never be reached,
The idea of reaching Heaven, a common belief, is now unattainable without the sacrifice of Jesus.
A light you'll never find in another's face,
Without Jesus, one cannot experience the light and grace of God in the same way.
A sea whose distance cannot be breached
This line is another metaphor for the distance between God and human without the sacrifice of Jesus.
Well Jesus kissed his mother's hands
Before dying on the cross, Jesus shows affection and appreciation to his mother.
Whispered, "Mother, still your tears,
Jesus is comforting his mother Mary, asking her not to cry for him.
For remember the soul of the universe
Jesus reminds Mary to keep faith in God and God's plan.
Willed a world and it appeared."
God created the world and everything in it.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cool guy
"For remember the soul of the universe
Willed a world and it appeared"
Even as Christ experienced true humanity: the fear of death, mourning having to say goodbye to his Mother, willingly facing suffering, this line reminds us that Jesus was still Lord. Fully human as he experienced those real emotions and pain and fully God as he reminds us who made the stars and the skies. Just an insanely beautiful song for the Boss, capturing an insanely beautiful truth.
AZ Barb
That lyric just gives me chills. How amazing Gods works are
Bradley Pettett
Grew up a Catholic, lost the way a lil bit. Bruce slowly but surely brings me back, as a fellow Catholic, thank you
John Spinelli
About the song brings you back to the Church!
JuJu, Fisher of Men
@John Spinelli you obviously know very little about Jesus
Barry Saunders
Catholic is the one and only Church that offers heaven,.provided you are baptized, take the Catholic entrance course ( RCIA course) get confirmed by the traditional Latin mass only, Bishop, preferably by the sspx resistance Bishop Richard Williamson who lives in Kent England, must be Resistance sspx ,no others, all others are not truly Catholic, Bishop Richard Williamson resistance is a true. Catholic, ordained by Lefebvre himself
John Spinelli
@Nathan Egan Jesus founded the Catholic church
Nathan Egan
You may not see this, and I respect your beliefs. But there is so much wrong with Catholicism. Not trying to offend you. But Jesus did not teach Catholicism, he taught a relationship between God and his people
Sunny Screamer
That just went straight through my heart...
With the all together the forgotten harmonica and when he played that same harmonica in the end... wow.
Amazing man, amazing song, amazing Jesus.
Thanks Bruce!
Ginny Rogers
This was what I had hoped Springsteen on Broadway would be like - even though that show was truly epic! Realized it did have to be scripted for a 5 day a week run- but VH1 show was a truer version of the man he is. Amazing , brilliant, personable and a legendary storyteller!