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)
Murder Incorporated
Bruce Springsteen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Out on the street your chances are zero
Take a look around you (come on now)
It ain't too complicated
You're messin' with Murder Incorporated
Now you check over your shoulder everywhere that you go (oh yeah)
Walkin' down the street there's eyes in every shadow (oh yeah)
You better take a look around you (come on now)
That equipment you got's so outdated (come on now)
You can't compete with Murder Incorporated
Everywhere you look now, Murder Incorporated
So you keep a little secret down deep inside your dresser drawer
For dealing with the heat you're feelin' out on the killin' floor
No matter where you step you feel you're never out of danger
So the comfort that you keep's a gold-plated snub-nose thirty-two
I heard that you
You got a job downtown, man, that leaves your head cold (oh yeah)
Everywhere you look life ain't got no soul (oh yeah)
That apartment you live in feels like it's just a place to hide
When you're walkin' down the street you won't meet no one eye to eye
Now, the cops reported you as just another homicide
But I can tell that you were just frustrated
From living with Murder Incorporated
(Murder) Incorporated
Everywhere you look now, Murder Incorporated
Come on now, baby
Murder Incorporated
Everywhere you turn, it's Murder Incorporated
Come on now, darling
The opening lines of Bruce Springsteen's 'Murder Incorporated' set a stark tone. Bobby's gun is under his pillow, and the listener is warned that on the street, their chances are "zero." The song depicts a sinister, pervasive force that oppresses and threatens people everywhere. The chorus warns the listener to look over their shoulder frequently because everywhere they look, there's Murder Incorporated. The song itself is a commentary on violence, the criminal underworld, and the government's complicity in organized crime in America.
The second verse communicates that the listener can’t escape -- there are eyes in every shadow, and the equipment they have "is so outdated, you can’t compete with Murder Incorporated." They’re never out of danger, so they’ve armed themselves with a snub-nose thirty-two. The third verse tells the story of a man that seems to have been killed by Murder Incorporated, but the singer knows otherwise. The police report the man’s death as just another homicide, but the singer can tell the man was frustrated after contending with Murder Incorporated.
In conclusion, 'Murder Incorporated' is a commentary on crime and violence in America. The lyrics warn that danger is everywhere, and those who try to fight it are at a disadvantage. The song implies that the government is involved in this criminal underworld in some way, something that Bruce Springsteen regularly tackled in his lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Bobby's got a gun that he keeps beneath his pillow
Bobby owns a gun which he hides under his pillow
Out on the street your chances are zero
Your chances of survival are nil when you are outside
Take a look around you (come on now)
Look around your surroundings
It ain't too complicated
It's not a complex situation
You're messin' with Murder Incorporated
You are involved with dangerous criminal activities
Now you check over your shoulder everywhere that you go (oh yeah)
You keep a vigilant eye on your surroundings
Walkin' down the street there's eyes in every shadow (oh yeah)
There seems to be no safe spot along the street
You better take a look around you (come on now)
Be vigilant of your surroundings
That equipment you got's so outdated (come on now)
Your weapons and defense strategies are not up-to-date
You can't compete with Murder Incorporated
You can hardly defend yourself against experienced criminals
Everywhere you look now, Murder Incorporated
Dangerous criminals are present everywhere you go
So you keep a little secret down deep inside your dresser drawer
You hide a backup weapon in your dresser drawer
For dealing with the heat you're feelin' out on the killin' floor
You carry the weapon as a protection from the danger of being killed
No matter where you step you feel you're never out of danger
The sense of danger remains regardless of where you are
So the comfort that you keep's a gold-plated snub-nose thirty-two
To find comfort in the danger, you carry a gold-plated snub-nose thirty-two
I heard that you
I have been informed that you
You got a job downtown, man, that leaves your head cold (oh yeah)
Your job in downtown negatively impacts your physical and mental state
Everywhere you look life ain't got no soul (oh yeah)
Life appears to be meaningless and directionless everywhere you go
That apartment you live in feels like it's just a place to hide
You feel like you're hiding out in your apartment
When you're walkin' down the street you won't meet no one eye to eye
You avoid making direct eye contact with anyone along the street
Now, the cops reported you as just another homicide
The police reported your death as a mere number
But I can tell that you were just frustrated
I understand that your death was a result of your frustration
From living with Murder Incorporated
Your frustration is from living a dangerous and hopeless life
(Murder) Incorporated
The criminal organization that is causing fear and death
Come on now, baby
Encouraging the listener to be more aware of their surroundings
Everywhere you turn, it's Murder Incorporated
Danger and fear are present everywhere in life
Come on now, darling
Encouraging the listener to be more aware of their surroundings
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bruce Springsteen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Killahboot
"So you keep a little secret down deep inside your dresser drawer
For dealing with the heat you're feelin'- out on the killin' floor
No matter where you step you feel you're never out of danger
So, the comfort that you keep's a gold-plated-snub-nose-thirty-two
WELL, I heard you got a job downtown, man that leaves your head cold !"
This is JUST SCREAMING purgatory, doom, and destruction.....
He fucking kills it.
@rockybabaluba8613
Bobby's got a gun that he keeps beneath his pillow
Out on the street your chances are zero
Take a look around you (come on now)
It ain't too complicated
You're messin' with Murder Incorporated
Now you check over your shoulder everywhere that you go (oh yeah)
Walkin' down the street there's eyes in every shadow (oh yeah)
You better take a look around you (come on now)
That equipment you got's so outdated (come on now)
You can't compete with Murder Incorporated
Everywhere you look now, Murder Incorporated
So you keep a little secret down deep inside your dresser drawer
For dealing with the heat you're feelin' out on the killin' floor
No matter where you step you feel you're never out of danger
So the comfort that you keep's a gold-plated snub-nose thirty-two
I heard that you
You got a job downtown, man, that leaves your head cold (oh yeah)
Everywhere you look life ain't got no soul (oh yeah)
That apartment you live in feels like it's just a place to hide
When you're walkin' down the street you won't meet no one eye to eye
Now, the cops reported you as just another homicide
But I can tell that you were just frustrated
From living with Murder Incorporated
(Murder) Incorporated
Everywhere you look now, Murder Incorporated
Come on now, baby
Murder Incorporated
Everywhere you turn, it's Murder Incorporated
Come on now, darling
@earthdragon72
One of the best Bruce songs ever I don't know why it was never released the first time. Still get chills when I hear it.
@elwyn5150
Bruce tends to write a LOT of songs, polish them THEN select songs that best fit his album's theme.
I think this song was written around the time of Born in the USA album. It would have fit in with its hometown life theme. Also not sure why he didn't put it out as a B-side to one of the singles.
@michaela.c.2097
There was only so much room on Born in The USA. When pressing a vinyl record, too much audio on one side causes the overall sound to suffer. And this song wouldn't have fit on Tunnel of Love.
@billmurray7473
This song reflects the state of 🇺🇸
in 2020.
Think about it.
Your thoughts here..................
@twally87
agree it's a great tune especially live, of course, which is why its live versions are better known than any studio version. My guess he didn't include it is that the song is too long (it would have been the longest song on Born in the USA, from whose sessions the song came about) with lots of rocking out that's more appealing in a live setting. It's also somewhat monotonous and the era's production techniques don't in my mind mesh well with the song; the gated drums and synthesizers characterizing many of the songs on Born in the USA have no place in this raw tune.
@spkanava
95
@fredmertes7077
One of my favorite Bruce songs! Can listen to it over and over and it never gets old.....
@badladwaldron
He’s dead fool
@tonyfontane5603
This is when this band is at it's best. Playing on a small stage, in a small, crowed bar, and they are all close together on stage. Just like the 70's.
@feverspell
I don't know why this wasn't on Born In The USA. It's a great album, make no mistake, but if this had made the cut, it would have been his first #1 single. Guarantee that. It's beyond ass-kicking. I am glad we got to hear it, though. He could have just as easily kept this gem in the vaults forever. Makes me wonder what else from those sessions that didn't make the cut. Let's hear 'em, Bruce!