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)
Shackled and Drawn
Bruce Springsteen Lyrics
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Closer to the grave closer to the gave
There comes the dawn I am over this moment
Shackled and dawn shackled and drawn
Searching to the dark all goes on
This moment shackled and drawn
I was on a field spread on the shirt
Sun little man work little man work
Shackled and dawn shackled and drawn
Searching to the dark all goes on
This moment shackled and drawn
Freedom suns of dirty shirt
Sun in the face shovel in the dirt
Shovel in the dirt shackled and dawn shackled and drawn
Searching to the dark all goes on
This moment shackled and drawn
Gambling man rolls the dice, workingman pays the bill
It’s still fat and easy up on banker’s hill
Up on banker’s hill, the party’s going strong
Down here below we’re shackled and drawn
Shackled and dawn shackled and drawn
Searching to the dark all goes on
This moment shackled and drawn
Shackled and dawn shackled and drawn
Searching to the dark all goes on
This moment shackled and drawn
"Shackled and Drawn" is a song that reflects on the struggles of the working-class people who are shackled by their circumstances and feel drawn to the dark. The lyrics bring to light the themes of oppression, poverty, and the struggle for freedom. The lines "Closer to the grave, closer to the gave" conveys the idea that poverty and oppression are leading people closer to death. The following line "There comes the dawn, I am over this moment" signifies that the singer wants to break free from the shackles of his circumstances.
The song speaks of the oppression and struggle of working-class people as reflected in lines such as "Sun little man work little man work" and "Freedom suns of dirty shirt, Sun in the face, shovel in the dirt." These lyrics paint a vivid picture of the working-class people struggling to make ends meet and earn their living. The line "Gambling man rolls the dice, working man pays the bill" reflects the sentiment that the working class is exploited by those who hold more power and privilege, leading to a sense of hopelessness and despair.
Ultimately, "Shackled and Drawn" is a powerful commentary on the role of power and privilege in society and the struggles of the working class. Springsteen's emotive and poetic lyrics offer a window into the realities of many individuals who feel trapped and burdened by their circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
Bring on the lights bits to the shape
Let the party begin and let people dance to the music.
Closer to the grave closer to the gave
Getting older and closer to dying with each passing moment.
There comes the dawn I am over this moment
Day is breaking and the singer is ready to move on from this moment.
Shackled and dawn shackled and drawn
Feeling trapped and imprisoned in life.
Searching to the dark all goes on
Continuing to search for freedom and happiness despite the darkness.
This moment shackled and drawn
Feeling oppressed and stuck in the present moment.
I was on a field spread on the shirt
The singer was working hard in a field, dirtying his shirt in the process.
Sun little man work little man work
The sun is shining down on the little man who is working hard.
Is that so wrong
Is it wrong to work hard and be rewarded for it?
Freedom suns of dirty shirt
The hard work in the sun brings freedom despite the dirty shirt.
Sun in the face shovel in the dirt
The sun is shining on the singer's face as he works hard, digging with his shovel.
Gambling man rolls the dice, workingman pays the bill
The rich man gambles with money while the poor man has to work to make ends meet.
It’s still fat and easy up on banker’s hill
The rich continue to get richer while the poor struggle to survive.
Up on banker’s hill, the party’s going strong
The rich are enjoying life while the poor continue to struggle.
Down here below we’re shackled and drawn
The poor are oppressed and trapped in their lives.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind