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)
Just Like Fire Would
Bruce Springsteen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Eyes cast like steel
I drank the wine that they left on my table
I knew the morning was too far
I smoked my last cigarette
I stay only to get by
The night was dark and the land was cold
I was frozen right to the bone
Just like fire would
I burn up
Just like fire would
Just like fire would
I burn up, oh
Five hundred miles I have gone today
Tomorrow it's five hundred more
Outside my window the world passes by
Its stranger than a dream
Just like fire would
I burn up
Just like fire would
Just like fire would
I burn up
I go to work and I earn my pay, lord
My sweat falls to the ground
I see you now but we may never meet again child
The ice is hanging on the door
One night in a motel room
Eyes cast like steel
I drank the wine that they left on my table
Knew the morning was too far
Just like fire would
I burn up
Just like fire would
Just like fire would
I burn up
Just like fire would
I burn up
Just like fire would
Just like fire would
I burn up
The lyrics of Bruce Springsteen's song "Just Like Fire Would" express feelings of loneliness and hopelessness, as the singer finds himself in a motel room with nothing but a bottle of wine and his thoughts to keep him company. The opening lines set the scene of desolation, with the character's gaze as hard as steel and his body chilled to the bone. The metaphor of fire represents a yearning for something more, a burning desire to escape the bleakness of his current circumstance. The repetition of the chorus, "Just like fire would, I burn up", emphasizes this longing for a transformative force that would ignite his life and set him on a new course.
As the song progresses, the lyrics describe a state of endless travel and toil, with the character working hard but feeling trapped in his routine. The reference to "five hundred miles" suggests the never-ending journey that he is on, both physically and emotionally. The outside world, passing by "stranger than a dream", is an intriguing yet unknown entity that he is unable to reach. The chorus is repeated again, reinforcing the theme of longing and yearning for change.
The final verse brings the song full circle, back to the motel room where it all began. The singer drinks his wine once more, knowing that the morning and its realities are fast approaching. The repetition of the chorus conveys the futility of his situation, the impossibility of a transformation that would bring him the freedom and fulfillment he craves.
Line by Line Meaning
One night in a motel room
Bruce Springsteen sets the stage and describes the place he's in
Eyes cast like steel
Bruce Springsteen's eyes are firm and steady
I drank the wine that they left on my table
Bruce Springsteen consumed the alcohol that was left for him in his motel room
I knew the morning was too far
Bruce Springsteen realizes it's too late at night and morning is still hours away
I smoked my last cigarette
Bruce Springsteen is out of cigarettes and has reached the end of the pack
I stay only to get by
Bruce Springsteen is only here to survive
The night was dark and the land was cold
Bruce Springsteen describes the weather and environment
I was frozen right to the bone
Bruce Springsteen is severely cold
Just like fire would
Bruce Springsteen will burn up
I burn up
Bruce Springsteen will eventually have a meltdown
Five hundred miles I have gone today
Bruce Springsteen describes how far he's traveled
Tomorrow it's five hundred more
Bruce Springsteen knows he has another long journey ahead of him
Outside my window the world passes by
Bruce Springsteen watches the world go by from his window
Its stranger than a dream
The world outside is surreal and almost unbelievable
I go to work and I earn my pay, lord
Bruce Springsteen goes to work like everyone else to make a living
My sweat falls to the ground
Bruce Springsteen works hard and puts in the effort
I see you now but we may never meet again child
Bruce Springsteen may never see this person again
The ice is hanging on the door
There's ice hanging on the motel room's door, showing how cold it is outside
Just like fire would
Bruce Springsteen's internal fire will burn him up
I burn up
Bruce Springsteen will eventually succumb to his own fire
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: CHRISTOPHER JAMES MANNI BAILEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
wavy811
One night in a motel room
Eyes cast like steel
I drank the wine that they left on my table
I knew the morning was too far
I smoked my last cigarette
I stay only to get by
The night was dark and the land was cold
I was frozen right to the bone
Just like fire would
I burn up
Just like fire would
Just like fire would
I burn up, oh
Five hundred miles I have gone today
Tomorrow it's five hundred more
Outside my window the world passes by
Its stranger than a dream
Just like fire would
I burn up
Just like fire would
Just like fire would
I burn up
I go to work and I earn my pay, lord
My sweat falls to the ground
I see you now but we may never meet again child
The ice is hanging on the door
One night in a motel room
Eyes cast like steel
I drank the wine that they left on my table
Knew the morning was too far
Just like fire would
I burn up
Just like fire would
Just like fire would
I burn up
Just like fire would
I burn up
Just like fire would
Just like fire would
I burn up
Philip Archer
Sadly the great Chris Bailey, who penned this song for the pioneering Aussie band The Saints, passed away yesterday. A huge loss for music lovers here Down Under. Im sure he was very proud knowing the Boss covered this song, which truly is a beauty.
Milt MacFarlane
Well reminded Phill, rest easy Chris
Tara Venn
Such a legendary song & songwriter - #vale #ChrisBailey; top version of Chris's song Bruce! One of #Australia's most underrated punk rock bands - bands full stop!
darbization
RIP Chris, THANK YOU MY FRIEND!
Bada Bing
Vale Chris Bailey song writer and top band
the "Saints"
PS
Bosses Version a belter as well
S Nomad
how would "the boss" have heard of a semi famous australian band?
Damon Marsh
A fitting tribute and acknowledgement by Bruce singing a song from one of the worlds influential bands from back in the day, The Saints.
Phil Nash
I was in my first job as a secondary school teacher in central Australia when a fellow teacher leant me "A Little Madness to be Free" by The Saints. 35 years later I am still counting my blessings! Ghost Ships, and all the other splendour...
Petra Kann
Sadly Chris Bailey just passed away at the age of 65
Bada Bing
@Petra Kann indeed far to young