Souls Of The Departed
Bruce Springsteen Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

On the road to Basra stood young Lieutenant Jimmy Bly
Detailed to go through the clothes of the soldiers who died
At night in dreams he sees their souls rise
Like dark geese into the Oklahoma skies

Well this is a prayer for the souls of the departed
Those who've gone and left their babies brokenhearted
This is a prayer for the souls of the departed

Now Raphael Rodriguez was just seven years old
Shot down in a schoolyard by some East Compton Cholos
His mamma cried "My beautiful boy is dead"
In the hills the self-made men just sighed and shook their heads

This is a prayer for the souls of the departed
Those who've gone and left their babies brokenhearted
Young lives over before they got started
This is a prayer for the souls of the departed

Tonight as I tuck my own son in bed
All I can think of is what if it would've been him instead
I want to build me a wall so high nothing can burn it down
Right here on my own piece of dirty ground

Now I ply my trade in the land of king dollar
Where you get paid and your silence passes as honor




And all the hatred and dirty little lies
Been written off the books and into decent men's eyes

Overall Meaning

The song Souls Of The Departed by Bruce Springsteen is a prayer for those who have gone and left their loved ones heartbroken. The verses describe different stories of young lives cut short because of senseless violence. The first verse talks of young Lieutenant Jimmy Bly, whose duty it was to go through the clothes of the soldiers who died in the battle. He sees their souls rise in his dreams like dark geese into the Oklahoma skies. The second verse tells the story of Raphael Rodriguez, a seven-year-old who was shot dead by some East Compton Cholos while he was playing in the schoolyard. His mother cried for her beautiful boy who was taken away from her. Self-made men in the hills sighed and shook their heads.


The chorus of the song repeats the prayer for the souls of the departed who were taken away from their loved ones too soon. The last verse reflects the personal fears of the singer as he tucks his own son to bed. He thinks about what could have been if his son was taken away from him too soon, and he wants to build a wall around him to protect him from the violence of the world. The verse then talks about the singer's livelihood and how he has to work in the land of King Dollar. He describes how the hatred and dirty little lies that happen every day have been written off the books and into men's eyes.


Line by Line Meaning

On the road to Basra stood young Lieutenant Jimmy Bly
Lieutenant Jimmy Bly was stationed in Basra to go through the clothes of fallen soldiers.


At night in dreams he sees their souls rise
Jimmy dreams about the souls of the soldiers he went through the clothes of, rising to the sky.


Like dark geese into the Oklahoma skies
Jimmy imagines the souls of the soldiers as dark geese in the sky, leaving Oklahoma.


This is a prayer for the souls of the departed
The song is a prayer for those who have died and left their families grieving.


Those who've gone and left their babies brokenhearted
The song is a prayer for those who left behind young children who are now heartbroken.


Now Raphael Rodriguez was just seven years old
Raphael was only seven years old when he was shot in a schoolyard by East Compton Cholos.


Shot down in a schoolyard by some East Compton Cholos
Raphael was killed in a schoolyard by members of a gang in East Compton.


His mamma cried "My beautiful boy is dead"
Raphael's mother cried because her young son had been killed in a senseless act of violence.


In the hills the self-made men just sighed and shook their heads
The wealthy and powerful individuals in the hills couldn't do anything but feel sad and helpless about Raphael's death.


Young lives over before they got started
The song laments the fact that young people's lives are taken away before they have a chance to grow up and fulfill their potential.


Tonight as I tuck my own son in bed
The singer reflects on his own life and what if his son was taken away like the young children in the previous verses.


All I can think of is what if it would've been him instead
The singer thinks about how devastating it would be if his own son were taken away from him suddenly.


I want to build me a wall so high nothing can burn it down
The singer wishes he could build a wall to protect his family from harm and tragedy.


Right here on my own piece of dirty ground
The singer wants to protect his family and keep them safe on the land they call home.


Now I ply my trade in the land of king dollar
The singer now works in a country where money is the top priority.


Where you get paid and your silence passes as honor
In this country, getting paid and not speaking out against wrongdoing is seen as honorable.


And all the hatred and dirty little lies
The country is filled with hate and lies that are hidden in plain sight.


Been written off the books and into decent men's eyes
These hateful and dishonest acts have become accepted by society and are seen as normal behavior.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions