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 Proof
Bruce Springsteen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come a little piece of the Lord's undying light
Crying like he swallowed the fiery moon
In his mother's arms it was all the beauty I could take
Like the missing words to some prayer that I could never make
Oh, in a world so hard and dirty so fouled and confused
Searching for a little bit of God's mercy
I found living proof
Well, I put my heart and soul, babe, I put 'em high upon a shelf
Right next to the faith, the faith that I'd lost in myself
I went down into the desert city
Just tryin' so hard to shed my skin
I crawled deep into some kind of darkness
Lookin' to burn out every trace of who I'd been
You do some sad, sad things baby
When it's your you 're tryin' to lose
You do some sad and hurtful things
I've seen living proof
You shot through my anger and rage
To show me my prison was just an open cage
There were no keys no guards
Oh, just one frightened man and some old shadows for bars
Well now all that's sure on the boulevard
Is that life is just a house of cards
As fragile as each and every breath
Of this boy sleepin' in our bed
Tonight let's lie beneath the eaves, babe
Just a close band of happy thieves
And when that train comes we'll get on board
And steal what we can from the treasures, treasures of the Lord
It's been along long drought baby
Tonight the rain's pourin' down on our roof
Oh, looking for a little bit of God's mercy
I found living proof
Oh living proof
I found living proof
Yeah, living proof
I found living proof
Oh living proof
I found living proof
Oh
Yeah I found living proof
I found living proof
I found living proof
Oh
The lyrics of Bruce Springsteen's "Living Proof" are deeply rooted in spirituality and redemption. The song starts with the image of a newborn child, described as "a little piece of the Lord's undying light", crying in his mother's arms. This scene is juxtaposed with the harsh realities of the world that the singer is trying to escape from - a world that is "hard and dirty so fouled and confused". However, in the midst of this turmoil, the singer finds hope in the belief that God's mercy can provide salvation.
The second verse shifts to the singer's personal struggles as he grapples with his own loss of faith and attempts to shed his old identity. He describes going to "some kind of darkness" and doing "some sad, sad things" in order to find himself. It is only through the intervention of someone else, referred to as "living proof", that the singer finds a way out of his self-imposed prison.
The final verse brings the song full circle, as the singer reflects on the fragility of life and the need to find joy and meaning in the present moment. The image of a "close band of happy thieves" stealing what they can from the treasures of the Lord suggests a subversive approach to spirituality - one that doesn't rely on traditional religious institutions or dogma, but rather on personal connections and intimate moments of grace.
Overall, "Living Proof" is a powerful meditation on faith, doubt, and the transformative power of love. It speaks to the human need for connection and meaning in a world that can often feel dark and confusing.
Line by Line Meaning
Well now on a summer night, oh in a dusky room
In a dimly lit room under the summer sky
Come a little piece of the Lord's undying light
A pure and sacred being
Crying like he swallowed the fiery moon
With an intense emotional expression
In his mother's arms it was all the beauty I could take
The child was a sight to behold in his mother's embrace
Like the missing words to some prayer that I could never make
The child represented an unnamed hope or answered prayer
Oh, in a world so hard and dirty so fouled and confused
In a world of chaos and darkness
Searching for a little bit of God's mercy
Seeking divine compassion and mercy
I found living proof
The child was evidence of God's mercy and grace
Well, I put my heart and soul, babe, I put 'em high upon a shelf
I abandoned my emotions and inner self
Right next to the faith, the faith that I'd lost in myself
My faith in my own abilities was just as lost
I went down into the desert city
I ventured into a barren, lifeless place
Just tryin' so hard to shed my skin
Hoping to rid myself of my old self
I crawled deep into some kind of darkness
I descended into a state of hopelessness
Lookin' to burn out every trace of who I'd been
Wishing to erase all signs of my old self
You do some sad, sad things baby
Trying to change oneself leads to despair and pain
When it's your you 're tryin' to lose
When you are trying to lose your own identity
You do some sad and hurtful things
You end up doing things that cause pain to yourself and others
I've seen living proof
I have seen evidence of this in others
You shot through my anger and rage
You broke through my anger and aggression
To show me my prison was just an open cage
To reveal that my problems were not that severe
There were no keys no guards
My cage was not locked or guarded
Oh, just one frightened man and some old shadows for bars
Only my own fears and doubts prevented me from breaking free
Well now all that's sure on the boulevard
Now that I am more certain in my life
Is that life is just a house of cards
Life is fragile and unstable
As fragile as each and every breath
As delicate as each breath we take
Of this boy sleepin' in our bed
The child sleeping in the singer's bed
Tonight let's lie beneath the eaves, babe
Let's rest beneath the shelter of the roof
Just a close band of happy thieves
A small group of joyful outlaws
And when that train comes we'll get on board
Let's make the most of every opportunity
And steal what we can from the treasures, treasures of the Lord
Take advantage of the blessings that we receive
It's been along long drought baby
A long period of hardship and suffering
Tonight the rain's pourin' down on our roof
Finally, relief from the struggles of life
Oh looking for a little bit of God's mercy
Still seeking divine compassion and grace
I found living proof
But the artist found hope and joy regardless
Oh living proof
This hope is alive and tangible
Yeah, living proof
Yes, there is hope in spite of the hardships
I found living proof
Evidence of hope and grace
Oh living proof
This evidence is alive and present
I found living proof
The singer found reason to hope
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
JP
Well now on a summer night in a dusky room
Come a little piece of the Lord's undying light
Crying like he swallowed the fiery moon
In his mother's arms it was all the beauty I could take
Like the missing words to some prayer that I could never make
In a world so hard and dirty so fouled and confused
Searching for a little bit of God's mercy
I found living proof
I put my heart and soul I put 'em high upon a shelf
Right next to the faith the faith that I'd lost in myself
I went down into the desert city
Just tryin' so hard to shed my skin
I crawled deep into some kind of darkness
Lookin' to burn out every trace of who I'd been
You do some sad sad things baby
When it's you you're tryin' to lose
You do some sad and hurtful things
I've seen living proof
You shot through my anger and rage
To show me my prison was just an open cage
There were no keys no guards
Just one frightened man and some old shadows for bars
Well now all that's sure on the boulevard
Is that life is just a house of cards
As fragile as each and every breath
Of this boy sleepin' in our bed
Tonight let's lie beneath the eaves
Just a close band of happy thieves
And when that train comes we'll get on board
And steal what we can from the treasures treasures of the Lord
It's been a long long drought baby
Tonight the rain's pourin' down on our roof
Looking for a little bit of God's mercy
I found living proof.
m-pierre rousseau boileau
Paroles et musique : Bruce Springsteen
Well now on a summer night, oh in a dusky room
Come a little piece of the Lord's undying light
Crying like he swallowed the fiery moon
In his mother's arms it was all the beauty I could take
Like the missing words to some prayer that I could never make
Oh, in a world so hard and dirty so fouled and confused
Searching for a little bit of God's mercy
I found living proof
Well, I put my heart and soul, babe, I put 'em high upon a shelf
Right next to the faith, the faith that I'd lost in myself
I went down into the desert city
Just tryin' so hard to shed my skin
I crawled deep into some kind of darkness
Lookin' to burn out every trace of who I'd been
You do some sad, sad things baby
When it's your you 're tryin' to lose
You do some sad and hurtful things
I've seen living proof
You shot through my anger and rage
To show me my prison was just an open cage
There were no keys no guards
Oh, just one frightened man and some old shadows for bars
Well now all that's sure on the boulevard
Is that life is just a house of cards
As fragile as each and every breath
Of this boy sleepin' in our bed
Tonight let's lie beneath the eaves, babe
Just a close band of happy thieves
And when that train comes we'll get on board
And steal what we can from the treasures, treasures of the Lord
It's been along long drought baby
Tonight the rain's pourin' down on our roof
Oh, looking for a little bit of God's mercy
I found living proof
Oh living proof
I found living proof
Yeah, living proof
I found living proof
Oh living proof
I found living proof
Oh
Yeah I found living proof
I found living proof
I found living proof
Oh
(Source : LyricFind)
Vincent Quesnel
I think Bruce Springotten litterally SAW GOD not unlike the america poet Allen Ginsberg.
Bruce Springsteen's lyrics right here, this happened to me too,.. I would describe my revelation that led to my faith in God and then knowing God, with almost these exact words, and then later on, I literally saw God!
"You shot through my anger and rage
To show me my prison was just an open cage
There were no keys no guards
Oh, just one frightened man and some old shadows for bars"
I had this album on my X-box for like ever now, and I can't believe these words were part of a Springsteen song! wow
Living Proof - Bruce Springsteen
Well now on a summer night, oh in a dusky room
Come a little piece of the Lord's undying light
Crying like he swallowed the fiery moon
In his mother's arms it was all the beauty I could take
Like the missing words to some prayer that I could never make
Oh, in a world so hard and dirty so fouled and confused
Searching for a little bit of God's mercy
I found living proof
Well, I put my heart and soul, babe, I put 'em high upon a shelf
Right next to the faith, the faith that I'd lost in myself
I went down into the desert city
Just tryin' so hard to shed my skin
I crawled deep into some kind of darkness
Lookin' to burn out every trace of who I'd been
You do some sad, sad things baby
When it's your you 're tryin' to lose
You do some sad and hurtful things
I've seen living proof
You shot through my anger and rage
To show me my prison was just an open cage
There were no keys no guards
Oh, just one frightened man and some old shadows for bars
Well now all that's sure on the boulevard
Is that life is just a house of cards
As fragile as each and every breath
Of this boy sleepin' in our bed
Tonight let's lie beneath the eaves, babe
Just a close band of happy thieves
And when that train comes we'll get on board
And steal what we can from the treasures, treasures of the Lord
It's been along long drought baby
Tonight the rain's pourin' down on our roof
Oh, looking for a little bit of God's mercy
I found living proof
Oh living proof
I found living proof
Yeah, living proof
I found living proof
Oh living proof
I found living proof
Oh
Yeah I found living proof
I found living proof
I found living proof
Oh
ChVh19781984
和訳C'mon zacc !
Well now on a summer night in a dusky room
ある夏の夜 薄暗い部屋で
Come a little piece of the Lord's undying light
主が放つ光の中から使者が訪れる
Crying like he swallowed the fiery moon ,
爛々とした月を飲み込んだように泣いている
In his mother's arms .
it was all the beauty I could take
私が知る全ての美しさを湛えた,彼の母親の腕の中で…
Like the missing words to some prayer that I could never make ,
忘れられた言葉を紡ぐ祈りのように…
In a world so hard and dirty , so fouled and confused
汚れもがき,混沌と腐敗した世界で…
Searching for a little bit of God's mercy
神の慈悲のカケラを探して
I found living proof
生きている証拠を見つけた
I put my heart and soul I put 'em high upon a shelf
私は魂と心を…高い棚の上に…
Right next to the faith the faith that I'd lost in myself
見失っていた信仰の…信仰の隣に置いた
I went down into the desert city
砂漠の町に行った時
Just tryin' so hard to shed my skin
疲れた肌を休ませ
I crawled deep into some kind of darkness
私は深い闇の底を這い蹲り…
Lookin' to burn out every trace of who I'd been
己のすべての痕跡を焼く尽くすために探した
You do some sad sad things
愛しい人よ,あなたは哀しい事をする…
When it's you you're tryin' to lose
あなたの全てを投げ出そうとする時
You do some sad and hurtful things
それは、悲しみ人を傷つける
I've seen living proof
生きている証拠を見てきた
You shot through my anger and rage
あなたは私の怒りという怒りを撃ち抜く…
To show me my prison was just an open cage
私の中の罪の檻には
There were no keys, no guards
もはや鍵も警備員もない
Just one frightened man and some old shadows for bars
そこにあるのは、怯えた男とバーに染み付いた古い影だけだ
Well now all that's sure on the boulevard
まあすべては…広い並木道にある、
Is that life is just a house of cards
そう,人生はトランプで建てた家みたいなもの
As fragile as each and every breath
ちょっとした吐息で壊れやすい
Of this boy sleepin' in our bed
私たちのベッドで眠っているこの少年の…
Tonight let's lie beneath the eaves
嘘の庇の下を今夜覗いてみよう
Just a close band of happy thieves
愉快な泥棒たちが演り終え…
And when that train comes we'll get on board
その列車が来て…それに乗り込む時
And steal what we can from the treasures, treasures of the Lord
主の宝物の中から盗んだんだ…
It's been a long long drought
それは随分と喉を渇わかしていたよ
Tonight the rain's pourin' down on our roof
雨が我々の屋根の上に降り注ぐ今夜
Looking for a little bit of God's mercy
神の慈悲のかけらを探して
I found living proof
生きている証拠を見つけた
Vincent Quesnel
I think Bruce Springotten litterally SAW GOD not unlike the america poet Allen Ginsberg.
Bruce Springsteen's lyrics right here, this happened to me too,.. I would describe my revelation that led to my faith in God and then knowing God, with almost these exact words, and then later on, I literally saw God!
"You shot through my anger and rage
To show me my prison was just an open cage
There were no keys no guards
Oh, just one frightened man and some old shadows for bars"
I had this album on my X-box for like ever now, and I can't believe these words were part of a Springsteen song! wow
Living Proof - Bruce Springsteen
Well now on a summer night, oh in a dusky room
Come a little piece of the Lord's undying light
Crying like he swallowed the fiery moon
In his mother's arms it was all the beauty I could take
Like the missing words to some prayer that I could never make
Oh, in a world so hard and dirty so fouled and confused
Searching for a little bit of God's mercy
I found living proof
Well, I put my heart and soul, babe, I put 'em high upon a shelf
Right next to the faith, the faith that I'd lost in myself
I went down into the desert city
Just tryin' so hard to shed my skin
I crawled deep into some kind of darkness
Lookin' to burn out every trace of who I'd been
You do some sad, sad things baby
When it's your you 're tryin' to lose
You do some sad and hurtful things
I've seen living proof
You shot through my anger and rage
To show me my prison was just an open cage
There were no keys no guards
Oh, just one frightened man and some old shadows for bars
Well now all that's sure on the boulevard
Is that life is just a house of cards
As fragile as each and every breath
Of this boy sleepin' in our bed
Tonight let's lie beneath the eaves, babe
Just a close band of happy thieves
And when that train comes we'll get on board
And steal what we can from the treasures, treasures of the Lord
It's been along long drought baby
Tonight the rain's pourin' down on our roof
Oh, looking for a little bit of God's mercy
I found living proof
Oh living proof
I found living proof
Yeah, living proof
I found living proof
Oh living proof
I found living proof
Oh
Yeah I found living proof
I found living proof
I found living proof
Oh
Julien Pichonnier
Thanks Bruce for the music and the words.
69Skobie
The energy coming out of that song....a live act masterpiece from the master of the live performance.
corduroyg
this is a top 20 bruce song of all time. and thats saying something. brilliant song.
Ben Williams
People didn't like these albums but Bruce's voice peaked on the early 90s
mkrbrtsn1
This was the performance that got me into Bruce to begin with and Lucky Town is a great album.
Marc Daniels
Which people ! I am a huge Bruce fan and I love Human Touch and Lucky Town.
Ricky Goodman
For the life of me I can't imagine anyone not liking both human touch and lucky town.
Miguel
I love this album
a s
Lucky Town mg favourite album
Bela Barner
Man, this song. Study the words. If they don't move you, you are dead. He wrote it after surfacing from the depths of depression after his marriage to Julianne Phillips went south. He obviously suffered, and came back from the depths, with the help of Patty Scialfa. This song is a testament to his soulful reflection upon this journey, and his gratitude for his good fortune of love, family and redemption. This a lesson for all of us. You cannot know heaven until you have to been to Hell.