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)
The Wish
Bruce Springsteen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sunshine, blue skies, please go away
My girl has found another and gone astray
And with her went my future, my life is filled with gloom
So day after day, I stay locked up in my room
I know to you it might sound strange
(Oh, how I wish that it would rain)
Oh, yeah
It hurts so badly I wanna go outside (such a lovely day)
But everybody knows that a man ain't supposed to cry
But listen, I've got to cry, because crying eases the pain
People, this hurt I feel inside
Words, they could never explain
I just wish it would rain
(Oh, how I wish that it would rain)
Oh, let it rain, let it rain
(Oh, how I wish that it would rain)
Rain
(Let it rain) let it rain, let it rain
(Let it rain) let it rain, let it rain, let it rain
(Let it rain) oh, let it rain
Day in, day out, my tear stained face
Pressed against the window pane
My eyes, they search the skies desperately for rain
'Cause raindrops will hide my teardrops
And no one will ever know
That I'm crying (crying), I'm crying
Yeah, when I go outside
To the world outside, my tears I refuse to explain
Oh, I wish it would rain
(Oh, how I wish that it would rain)
Ooh, baby
(Let it rain) let it rain, let it rain
(Rain, rain, rain, let it rain) let it rain, let it rain, let it rain
(Let it rain)
I need rain to disguise the tears in my eyes (rain, rain, rain, let it rain)
Oh, let it rain
(Let it rain)
I'm a man and I got my pride
'Til it rains I'm gonna stay inside (let it rain)
Let it rain (let it rain)
Oh, let it rain
Oh, let it rain
Mm, let it rain
Oh, let it rain (ooh-ooh)
"The Wish" is a song by Bruce Springsteen from his album Tracks, a compilation of unreleased material recorded throughout his career. The song's story is about a man who has been betrayed by his girlfriend and is alone, locked away in his room, unable to go outside and show his emotions. He knows he needs to cry to release his pain, but he feels he can't because of societal pressures to suppress his feelings. He wishes for rain to fall because it will hide his tears in plain sight, allowing him to be emotional without judgment.
Springsteen's lyrics capture a relatable and raw emotional state. Sometimes life is challenging, and it's natural to cry and seek solace. Yet, as humans, we are conditioned to suppress our emotions and keep up a brave face. The singer in the song is experiencing this, but he desires the release of letting his emotions show.
The song's soulful melody and lyrics make it a standout track in Springsteen's discography. The use of rain as a metaphor for the crying protagonist and the desire for it to fall is a twist on the usual connotations of rain in music. Instead of rain being a symbol of sadness or a negative event, it's precisely what the character needs to reveal his emotions and feel better. Overall, the song deals with themes of heartbreak, being lost, and the importance of vulnerability.
Line by Line Meaning
Sunshine, blue skies, please go away
I'm feeling down because my girl left me; I wish for cloudy days.
My girl has found another and gone astray
My girlfriend left me for someone else.
And with her went my future, my life is filled with gloom
I feel hopeless without my girlfriend; my life is sad now.
So day after day, I stay locked up in my room
I can't face the outside world because I feel too sad.
I know to you it might sound strange
What I'm about to say is unusual or unexpected.
But I wish it would rain
I hope it will rain so I can cry outside without anyone noticing.
(Oh, how I wish that it would rain)
I really, really want it to rain so I can cry.
It hurts so badly I wanna go outside (such a lovely day)
Despite the beautiful weather, I can't enjoy it because I'm heartbroken.
But everybody knows that a man ain't supposed to cry
Men are expected to be tough and not show emotion, but I can't help it.
But listen, I've got to cry, because crying eases the pain
Even though it's not manly, I need to cry because it makes me feel better.
People, this hurt I feel inside
This pain that I'm experiencing is intense and hard to explain.
Words, they could never explain
There aren't enough words to describe how I feel right now.
Let it rain, let it rain
I really, really want it to rain.
Day in, day out, my tear stained face
I cry all the time, and it's written all over my face.
Pressed against the window pane
I spend my days looking out the window, hoping for rain.
My eyes, they search the skies desperately for rain
I keep hoping that it will rain so I can cry outside.
'Cause raindrops will hide my teardrops
If it rains, nobody will see that I'm crying.
And no one will ever know
Nobody will find out that I'm still heartbroken.
That I'm crying (crying), I'm crying
I'm shedding tears even though I don't want to.
To the world outside, my tears I refuse to explain
I'm not comfortable telling anyone how hurt I am.
I need rain to disguise the tears in my eyes
Rain will help conceal the fact that I'm crying.
I'm a man and I got my pride
As a man, it's important for me to maintain my dignity and self-respect.
'Til it rains I'm gonna stay inside (let it rain)
I won't leave the house until it starts raining.
Oh, let it rain
Please let it rain so I can cry outside and heal my heart.
Mm
A vocalization that has no direct meaning in this context.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Rodger Sr. Penzabene, Barrett Strong, Norman Whitefield
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind