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)
Stones
Bruce Springsteen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Said those were only the lies you've told me
Those are only the lies you've told me
I pulled my collar to the wind and spit them on the ground
You said those are only the lies you've told me
Those are only the lies you've told me
I felt them gather on my tongue
I woke up this morning with stones in my mouth
You said those are only the lies you've told me
Those are only the lies you've told me
The dirt-brown winter field, a thousand black crows cover the ground
You say those are only the lies you've told me
Those are only the lies you've told me
The autumn wind blows through the trees
As the dark leaves come tumbling down
You say those are only the lies you've told me
Those are only the lies you've told me
I walk a highway washed in sun
I feel weight gather on my tongue
I woke up this morning with stones in my mouth
You said those are only the lies you've told me
Those are only the lies you've told me
Those are only the lies you've told me
(Only the lies you've told me)
Those are only the lies you've told me
(Only the lies you've told me)
Those are only the lies you've told me
(Only the lies you've told me)
Those are only the lies you've told me
I woke up this morning with stones in my mouth
The lyrics of Bruce Springsteen's "Stones" seem to revolve around someone's admission of dishonesty that has been uncovered. The singer has "stones" in their mouth, which suggests they have been figuratively swallowing something unpleasant or difficult to speak about. These stones, it turns out, are the lies that someone else has told them. The singer is left feeling weighed down by this revelation, and there is a sense of betrayal or disappointment.
The first verse sets the scene, with the singer waking up with stones in their mouth. They spit them out and it becomes clear that these stones are the lies that someone has been telling them. The second verse speaks to the singer's sense of isolation, sitting on the edge of their bed while the lies gather on their tongue. The third verse sees the imagery shift to a field full of crows and the autumn wind, which could suggest a darker turn in the situation.
As the song progresses, the singer seems to come to terms with the lies they've been told. They walk along a sun-washed highway but still feel the weight of the stones on their tongue. The chorus repeats the idea that these are "only" the lies they've been told, but the music suggests that it's not so simple. There's a sense of tension and sadness throughout the song, as well as a feeling of release when the stones are finally expelled.
Overall, the lyrics of "Stones" capture the complex emotions that can come with being lied to or deceived by someone close to you. The stones in the mouth become a powerful metaphor for the burden that these lies can create, and the song suggests that there is no easy way to move forward from such a situation.
Line by Line Meaning
I woke up this morning with stones in my mouth
I started the day with a bitter taste in my mouth, a feeling of being misled and hurt.
Said those were only the lies you've told me
The stones in my mouth represented the lies that were told to me by someone I trusted.
Those are only the lies you've told me
The repetition of this phrase emphasizes the hurt and frustration caused by the lies being told.
I pulled my collar to the wind and spit them on the ground
I rejected those lies and decided to speak out about them, expressing a sense of defiance in the face of deception.
Sat on the edge of our bed in the sun
The imagery of this line is peaceful and warm, hinting at a happier past or a hopeful future despite the current pain.
I felt them gather on my tongue
The stones (or lies) felt heavy and difficult to swallow, symbolizing the emotional burden of betrayal and deceit.
The dirt-brown winter field, a thousand black crows cover the ground
The bleak and ominous imagery of this line suggests a sense of isolation, sorrow, and darkness.
The autumn wind blows through the trees
As the dark leaves come tumbling down
The repetition of natural imagery (wind and leaves) underscores the idea that the truth will eventually come out and the lies will be exposed.
I walk a highway washed in sun
I feel weight gather on my tongue
The contrast between a bright highway and the heavy weight of the stones (or lies) suggests a longing for liberation and release from the pain.
Those are only the lies you've told me
(Only the lies you've told me)
The final repetition of this phrase reinforces the idea that the pain is caused by deceit and false words, and the only way to heal is to face the truth.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bruce Springsteen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dan Bolger
This is one of the best songs I've ever heard. Been a fan of Springsteen's music for a long time. Superb album.
Mark Levasseur
we are so fortunate...
Sheena Martin
My husband has every album. This is easily his best stuff since the 80's, and several songs are in my top 10 Bruce songs. Rosalita long may she reign. Lol
Kyle R
You should listen to some good music some time if this is one of the best songs you've ever heard.
Hadassah Tannenbaum
This is a masterpiece.
Mary Lynn Lucas
This song gets to me every time. I feel a lump in my chest and want to cry. There is something lonesome in the words and the voice is so soft. I will be a Bruce fan forever
Mark Levasseur
The greatest
T/A 392 SRT CHALLENGER
I have lived this song...❤❤
LordDeliverUs
So American...this song starts out sounding like a WWII tribute. My dad served in the Pacific theater in the navy in that war. Very moving.
David Torres Fernandez
The more you listen to the complete album the more you stay hooked and trapped!! Simply magnifiscent!!