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)
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
Bruce Springsteen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seem like the whole world walking pretty and you can't find the room to move
Well, everybody better move over, that's all
'Cause I'm running on the bad side and I got my back to the wall
Tenth Avenue freeze-out
Tenth Avenue freeze-out
Well, I was stranded in the jungle trying to take in all the heat they was giving
From a tenement window a transistor blasts
Turn around the corner, things got real quiet real fast
I walked into a Tenth Avenue freeze-out
Tenth Avenue freeze-out
And I'm all alone, I'm all alone
(And kid, you better get the picture)
And I'm on my own, I'm on my own
And I can't go home
When the change was made uptown and the Big Man joined the band
From the coastline to the city, all the little pretties raise their hands
I'm gonna sit back right easy and laugh
When Scooter and the Big Man bust this city in half
With the Tenth Avenue freeze-out
Tenth Avenue freeze-out
Tenth Avenue freeze-out
Tenth Avenue freeze
I'm talking 'bout a Tenth
Oh, nothing but a Tenth
I'm talking 'bout a Tenth
I'm talking bout a Tenth, Tenth, Tenth, Tenth, Tenth, Tenth, Tenth, Tenth
Tenth, Tenth, Tenth, Tenth, Tenth, I'm talking 'bout a
Tenth Avenue freeze-out
The lyrics to Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band's "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" paint a picture of a struggling individual in an urban environment. The first stanza introduces a character named Bad Scooter, who is searching for his groove in a city where everyone seems to be walking pretty but there's no space to move. The singer declares that he's running on the bad side with his back against the wall, and warns everybody to move over, thus foreshadowing the upcoming Tenth Avenue freeze-out, which is portrayed as a powerful, unstoppable force.
The second stanza describes the singer stranded in the jungle, trying to take in all the heat that's being given, meaning it's a harsh and unforgiving environment. The night is dark, but the sidewalk is bright and lined with the light of the living. As the singer turns a corner, things get real quiet real fast, and a transistor blasts from a tenement window. This creates a contrast between the isolation and danger the singer feels, and the lively, electrified atmosphere of the city.
The third and final stanza is an upbeat declaration of the power of music and the arrival of a new era. The change was made uptown, and the Big Man joined the band, referring to the addition of saxophonist Clarence Clemons to the E Street Band. This event is celebrated by all the little pretties - a metaphor for the enthusiastic fans. The singer declares that he's going to sit back and laugh when Scooter and the Big Man bust the city in half with the Tenth Avenue freeze-out. The repeated line "Tenth Avenue freeze-out" anchors the entire song, creating a sense of momentum and rising excitement.
Line by Line Meaning
Tear drops on the city, Bad Scooter searching for his groove
The city is crying and Bad Scooter is looking for his place in it
Seem like the whole world walking pretty and you can't find the room to move
Everyone else is doing well but you're feeling stuck
Well, everybody better move over, that's all
You're coming through and everyone else needs to make way
'Cause I'm running on the bad side and I got my back to the wall
You're taking risks and in a difficult situation, but still moving forward
Tenth Avenue freeze-out
Describing the feeling of being stuck in life and trying to move forward
Well, I was stranded in the jungle trying to take in all the heat they was giving
Metaphor for feeling overwhelmed and struggling to keep up
The night is dark but the sidewalk's bright and lined with the light of the living
Contrasting dark times with the light around you and the hope it brings
From a tenement window a transistor blasts
The loudness of life all around you, even if it's not your own
Turn around the corner, things got real quiet real fast
Suddenly everything can change and the world can become still
I walked into a Tenth Avenue freeze-out
Still speaking to the feeling of being stuck and struggling to move forward
And I'm all alone, I'm all alone (And kid, you better get the picture)
No one else can help but you need to understand that you're in control
And I'm on my own, I'm on my own
Repeating the sense of being on one's own and needing to find a way forward
And I can't go home
There's no going back to what used to be or what's familiar
When the change was made uptown and the Big Man joined the band
A time when things started to look up, with the addition of new players to the group
From the coastline to the city, all the little pretties raise their hands
Everybody is feeling the music and the energy, and getting into it
I'm gonna sit back right easy and laugh
The feeling of victory and finally being able to relax and enjoy it
When Scooter and the Big Man bust this city in half
Feeling like you can take on anything and truly conquer it
With the Tenth Avenue freeze-out
Bringing the song full circle, still speaking to the feeling of being stuck and needing to push through
I'm talking 'bout a Tenth Oh, nothing but a Tenth I'm talking 'bout a Tenth I'm talking bout a Tenth, Tenth, Tenth, Tenth, Tenth, Tenth, Tenth, Tenth Tenth, Tenth, Tenth, Tenth, Tenth, I'm talking 'bout a
Repeating the chorus to drive home the meaning of being on the brink of something, needing to push forward, and finding the way out of feeling stuck
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bruce Springsteen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@theactioneffect
Only Bruce and E Street could:
-Start a song
-Go into a rendition of Take Me To The River
-Lead into a gospel-like soul-searching sermon
-Introduce the band
-and then FINISH the song they started with
...and make the whole thing work
@migbgold3191
the greatest live performance of any song ever -- if that bond between Clarence and the Boss doesn't bring a tear to your eye then you're not alive
@barbaracousin4054
true
@hugogonzalez-ym9zg
That scene of Bruce with bigman is nowadays usted in concerts... Is grateful to see that this Bond was so important on their lives
@rchrdguay
It doesn't make the loss of the Big Man (or Danny F) anhy easier to take, but nephew Jake Clemons seems to be channeling his uncle in his onstage interactions with Bruce. So glad I got to see him on this latest tour (thanks to my son, who took me for my birthday present). Sadly, I think there won't be any more long tours in the Boss' future.
@kevrutherford8718
Agreed 100%
@anthonydonofrio1061
Hands down, the best-ever version of 10th Ave Freeze Out.
@davidgraham8299
Undoubtedly
@Maverick21491
Agreed
@billybell1656
Yes it Is definitely my favorite version!!!
@pardnerincrime4409
SOOOOOO very much agree!!! THOSE were the days...and I've been following him since 1972. Grew up 6miles from Asbury Park and haunted his early days.