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)
This Hard Land
Bruce Springsteen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can you give me a reason sir as to why they've never grown
They've just blown around from town to town
Till they're back out on these fields
Where they fall from my hand
Back into the dirt of this hard land
Now me and my sister from Germantown
We made our bed sir from the rock on the mountainside
We been blowin' around from town to town
Lookin' for a place to stand
Where the sun burst through the cloud
To fall like a circle
Like a circle of fire down on this hard land
Now even the rain it don't come 'round
It don't come 'round here no more
And the only sound at night's the wind
Slammin' the back porch door
It just stirs you up like it wants to blow you down
Twistin' and churnin' up the sand
Leavin' all them scarecrows lyin' face down
Face down in the dirt of this hard land
From a building up on the hill
I can hear a tape deck blastin' "Home on the Range"
I can see them Bar-M choppers
Sweepin' low across the plains
It's me and you Frank we're lookin' for lost cattle
Our hooves twistin' and churnin' up the sand
We're ridin' in the whirlwind searchin' for lost treasure
Way down south of the Rio Grande
We're ridin' 'cross that river
In the moonlight
Up onto the banks of this hard land
Hey Frank won't ya pack your bags
And meet me tonight down at Liberty Hall
Just one kiss from you my brother
And we'll ride until we fall
We'll sleep in the fields
We'll sleep by the rivers and in the morning
We'll make a plan
Well if you can't make it
Stay hard, stay hungry, stay alive
If you can
And meet me in a dream of this hard land
"This Hard Land" is a song by Bruce Springsteen, it was originally recorded in 1982 but was not released until 1995 as part of The Best of Bruce Springsteen compilation album. The song is a stripped-back, acoustic effort that highlights the essence of Springsteen's songwriting- his keen observations about the harsh realities of life in the country. The song paints a vivid picture of folks who have struggles, and are barely managing to cope, yet there is still an unshakable sense of hope beneath the difficulties that they face.
The lyrics of the song are rather reflective, the singer is speaking to an unknown person, a mister, and he is asking what happened to the seeds he sowed and why they never grew into anything tangible. He then goes on to describe his travels with his sister- they have moved from town to town searching for a place to stand, and he seems to be lamenting their current situation. He paints a picture of the desolate and harsh realities that they must confront every day, from the absence of rain to the violent winds that blow across the land.
The song reaches its climax when the singer meets his friend Frank and proposes that they travel to the mythical place of "Liberty Hall"- a place where they can find lost treasure, ride until they fall, and sleep in the fields and by the rivers. This is where the song's message is ultimately revealed- No matter how hard things may get, there is always a chance for a new beginning, a chance to find something worth fighting for.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey there mister can you tell me what happened to the seeds I've sown
Asking someone to explain why my hard work hasn't paid off
Can you give me a reason sir as to why they've never grown
Requesting an explanation for the lack of success despite my efforts
They've just blown around from town to town
My efforts have been in vain as they haven't found any solid ground
Till they're back out on these fields
Still trying to cultivate on this hard land
Where they fall from my hand
My efforts have not bore any fruit
Back into the dirt of this hard land
Continuing to face the difficulties of this unforgiving land
Now me and my sister from Germantown
My sibling and I hail from Germantown
We did ride
We embarked on a journey
We made our bed sir from the rock on the mountainside
We made the best of what we had, even if it was difficult
We been blowin' around from town to town
We have been wandering aimlessly looking for a place to settle
Lookin' for a place to stand
Trying to find somewhere to call home
Where the sun burst through the cloud
Somewhere with hope and brightness
To fall like a circle
A place where good fortune continues to come around
Like a circle of fire down on this hard land
A place where hope and determination can overcome adversity
Now even the rain it don't come 'round
Even basic necessities like rain have become rare
It don't come 'round here no more
The land has become barren and inhospitable
And the only sound at night's the wind
The only sound heard is of the wind howling
Slammin' the back porch door
The wind is ruthless and destructive
It just stirs you up like it wants to blow you down
The hardship is overwhelming and endless
Twistin' and churnin' up the sand
The wind is causing damage and devastation
Leavin' all them scarecrows lyin' face down
The wind renders everything in its path helpless
Face down in the dirt of this hard land
Everything is prone to falling and being defeated by the harshness of the land
From a building up on the hill
A structure on top of a hill can be seen
I can hear a tape deck blastin' "Home on the Range"
The sound of music being played loudly from a tape recorder
I can see them Bar-M choppers
Helicopters belonging to Bar-M can be seen
Sweepin' low across the plains
The helicopters are flying low above the flatlands
It's me and you Frank we're lookin' for lost cattle
My friend Frank and I are trying to find lost cattle
Our hooves twistin' and churnin' up the sand
Our horses are causing damage to the already damaged land
We're ridin' in the whirlwind searchin' for lost treasure
We're frantically scouring the harsh land for something valuable
Way down south of the Rio Grande
We're far from home, journeying into unknown territory
We're ridin' 'cross that river
We're crossing the Rio Grande river
In the moonlight
The river crossing is taking place under moonlight
Up onto the banks of this hard land
We've successfully crossed the river and reached the unforgiving land
Hey Frank won't ya pack your bags
I'm asking Frank to prepare for a journey
And meet me tonight down at Liberty Hall
Meet me at Liberty Hall tonight
Just one kiss from you my brother
I consider Frank as close as a sibling
And we'll ride until we fall
We'll continue to journey, despite the dangers
We'll sleep in the fields
We'll make do with what we have, even if it's not much
We'll sleep by the rivers and in the morning
We'll take rest wherever we can and continue in the morning
We'll make a plan
We'll strategize for a better way to live
Well if you can't make it
If you're unable to come along
Stay hard, stay hungry, stay alive
Stay strong and determined to survive, no matter the obstacles
If you can
If you are able to join me
And meet me in a dream of this hard land
Meet me in your imagination, in this challenging land
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
N Granero
Hey there mister can you tell me
What happened to the seeds I've sown
Can you give me a reason, sir, as to why they've never grown
They've just blown around from town to town
Back out on these fields
Where they fall from my hand
Back into the dirt of this hard land
Well me and my sister
From Germantown we did ride
We made our bed, sir
From the rock on the mountainside
We been blowin' around from town to town
Lookin' for a place to stand
Where the sun burst through the clouds and fall like a circle
A circle of fire down on this hard land
Now even the rain it don't come 'round
Don't come 'round here no more
And the only sound at night's the wind
Slammin' the back porch door
Yeah it stirs you up like it wants to blow you down
Twistin' and churnin' up the sand
Leavin' all them scarecrows lyin' facedown
In the dirt of this hard land
From a building up on the hill
I can hear a tape deck blastin' "Home on the Range"
I can hear them Bar-M choppers
Sweepin' low across the plains
It's me and you, Frank, we're lookin' for lost cattle
Our hooves twistin' and churnin' up the sand
We're ridin' in the whirlwind searchin' for lost treasure
Way down south of the Rio Grande
We're ridin' 'cross that river in the moonlight
Up onto the banks of this hard land
Hey, Frank, won't you pack your bags
And meet me tonight down at Liberty Hall
Just one kiss from you, my brother
And we'll ride until we fall
Well sleep in the fields
We'll sleep by the rivers
And in the morning we'll make a plan
Well if you can't make it stay hard, stay hungry, stay alive if you can
And meet me in a dream of this hard land
Joe Sparky
Since 1975 I have been listening to this man's artistry...through years as a single man, through years as a married man and father, through years as a single man again...his music has been my companion. He will probably never fully understand what it is like to be on the receiving end of his musical genius. But for what it is worth, Bruce you have moved us in ways few artists can. And we, your fans, are forever grateful for your presence in our lives.
Toni.Miller#43
That's the right way!! 👍✌️🎸
Big Mama N KC
Amen 🙏 Brother Amen 🙏
Sandro Manfio
Just like that!
anella d'ambrosio
@Sandro Manfiociao Sandro! Come stai? 🙋♀️😍😘💘🍀
Brian Walton
Nice words, totally agree!
tonitsi78
The older I get the more Bruce and his songs mean to me. And everything they stand for.
Sensforce
Couldn't agree more!
Kevin Meehan
He's a close second to Peter Townshend for me.
Ed Goeters
Amen