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)
Living On The Edge Of The World
Bruce Springsteen Lyrics
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I'm an all-set cobra jet creepin' through the night time
Gotta find a gas station, gotta find a pay phone
This turnpike sure is spooky at night when you're all alone
I'm living on the edge of the world
Tryin' to get my girl on the line
Livin' on the edge of the world
But I think it's just a waste of my time
'Cause I'm living on the edge of the world
Radio, radio, hear my tale of heartbreak
New Jersey in the morning like a lunar landscape
Got a counter girl at the Exit 24 HoJo
Down past the refinery towers where the great black river flows
OI'm living on the edge of the world
Tryin' to get a message through
I gotta make a connection, girl
Because I'm living on the edge of the world
Living on the edge of the world
Radio's jammed with gospel stations
Lost souls callin' long distance salvation
Hey mister deejay gotta hear my last prayer
It's a hey ho rock and roll, deliver me from nowhere
I'm living on the edge of the world
Tryin' to get back to you, girl
Living on the edge of the world
Tryin' to get a message through
I gotta make some connection, girl
Because I'm living on the edge of the world
Living on the edge of the world
Now my boss don't dig me 'cause he put me on the night shift
It takes me two hours to get back to where my baby lives
In the wee wee hours my mind gets hazy
Relay towers, won't you lead me to my baby
'Neath the overpass the trooper hits his party lights switch
Good night, good luck, one, two powershift
The lyrics of the song Living On The Edge Of The World by Bruce Springsteen narrates a story about a man who lives on the outskirts of society and is struggling to reconnect with his girl. He is driving through the spooky New Jersey turnpike at night looking for a gas station and a payphone to call her. However, someone keeps breaking his connection, leaving him stranded on the edge of the world. The story reflects the loneliness and isolation that comes with living on the margins of society, away from the mainstream.
The song also touches upon the theme of the power of communication and the role it plays in our lives, especially when we are in love. The singer yearns to connect with his girl and tries everything from calling her on a payphone or sending a message through the counter girl at Ho-Jo's but to no avail. The jammed radio stations and lost souls calling long-distance salvation add to the theme of the broken connections and lost hopes.
The song is a reflection of Bruce Springsteen's love for New Jersey and its people, who he often depicts in his songs as people living on the edge. It is a common theme in many of his other songs as well. Living On The Edge Of The World is a classic example of his storytelling style and his ability to add an emotional depth to the characters in his songs.
Line by Line Meaning
Early North Jersey industrial skyline
The sight of the industrial skyline in North Jersey at an early hour.
I'm an all-set cobra jet creepin' through the nighttime
I am a fast and powerful vehicle moving quietly through the night.
Gotta find a gas station, gotta find a pay phone
I need to locate a gas station and a payphone.
This turnpike sure is spooky at night when you're all alone
The turnpike is eerie when traveling alone at night.
I'm living on the edge of the world
I am living in a place where safety and security seem uncertain and unknown.
Tryin' to get my girl on the line
I am attempting to contact my girlfriend.
But I think it's just a waste of my time
I feel that my efforts are futile and unproductive.
Some jerk keeps breaking my connection, girl
Someone is continuously interfering with my communication attempts.
'Cause I'm living on the edge of the world
My location's instability is causing communication issues.
Radio, radio, hear my tale of heartbreak
I am broadcasting a message of heartache over the radio.
New Jersey in the morning like a lunar landscape
The view of New Jersey in the morning resembles a barren and desolate lunar surface.
Got a counter girl at the Exit 24 HoJo
I have met a girl while at the Howard Johnson hotel at exit 24.
Down past the refinery towers where the great black river flows
Further down from the refinery towers flows a river that is dark in color.
Living on the edge of the world
I am situated in a place where uncertainty and volatility are present.
Tryin' to get a message through
I am attempting to communicate a message despite the communication problems.
I gotta make a connection, girl
I need to establish a successful means of communication.
Radio's jammed with gospel stations
The radio has many gospel stations that are full of lost souls looking for salvation.
Lost souls callin' long distance salvation
People who are desperate for salvation are calling long distance on the radio.
Hey mister deejay gotta hear my last prayer
I am pleading with the DJ to broadcast my final message.
It's a hey ho rock and roll, deliver me from nowhere
I listen to rock and roll music in hopes that it will save me from my uncertain and ambiguous destiny.
Now my boss don't dig me 'cause he put me on the night shift
My boss does not like me because he assigned me to work the night shift.
It takes me two hours to get back to where my baby lives
It takes me a long time to travel back to where my girlfriend lives.
In the wee wee hours my mind gets hazy
During the early morning, my mind becomes hazy.
Relay towers, won't you lead me to my baby
I am asking the relay towers to guide me to my girlfriend's location.
'Neath the overpass the trooper hits his party lights switch
The police officer turns on his lights while passing under the overpass.
Good night, good luck, one, two powershift
The singer bids farewell and prepares to shift gears while driving away.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind