Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American… Read Full Bio ↴Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originator of heartland rock, combining mainstream rock musical styles with narrative songs about working class American life. Nicknamed "the Boss", his career has spanned six decades. Springsteen is known for his poetic, socially conscious lyrics and energetic stage performances, sometimes lasting up to four hours.

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)

Where The Bands Are
Bruce Springsteen Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I hear the guitars ringin' out
Ringin' out down Union Street
I hear the lead singer shoutin' out, girl
I want to be a slave to the beat
Yeah, tonight I want to break my chains
Somebody break my heart
Somebody shake my brains
Downtown there's something that I want to hear

There's a sound, little girl, keeps ringing in my ear

[Chorus]
I want to be where the bands are
I want to be where the bands are
Where the bands are
I want to be where the bands are

I get off from work and I grab something to eat
I turn the corner and I drive down your street
Little gray houses darling looks like nowhere
But hey I know you're hiding in there
Come on out for just a little while
You know that heart of stone, girl, it just ain't your style
Tonight I want to feel the beat of the crowd
And when I tell you that I love you
I want to have to shout it out loud
Shout it out loud

[Chorus]

I hear the guitars ringin' out again
Ringin' on down Union Street
I hear the lead singer shoutin' out girl
I want to be a slave to the beat
And I want something that'll break my chains
Something to break my heart
Something to shake my brains
There's a rocker's special on tonight
So meet me on down
'Neath the neon lights

[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

"Where The Bands Are" is a song from Bruce Springsteen's 1980 album, "The River". The tune seems to be about a man who longs to escape his mundane life and be part of the music scene. The song contains the deep desire of the singer to experience a world that's beyond his daily routine. In the opening verse, Springsteen describes the music he's hearing coming from Union Street. He expresses a deep longing to "break his chains" and "shake his brains." He believes the solution is to find a place where bands are playing and be a part of the crowd. The song uses music as a metaphor for transcending the everyday struggles of life.

The chorus of the song emphasizes the singer's desire to find the place where the bands are playing. He yearns to be where the music is playing and where he can be a part of the magic. He dreams of putting aside his worries and dancing to the beat of the music. He's looking for an escape from the routine and monotony of his life.

Overall, "Where The Bands Are" is an excellent example of Springsteen's lyrics that portray the working-class struggle. The song's simple melody and unpretentious lyrics perfectly encapsulate the feeling of an everyday person hoping for something more.

Line by Line Meaning

I hear the guitars ringin' out
The music is loud and clear, coming from a nearby area

Ringin' out down Union Street
The music is coming from Union Street

I hear the lead singer shoutin' out, girl
The lead singer is singing passionately, giving the song more emotions

I want to be a slave to the beat
The person wants to devote themselves to the music, surrendering to it completely

Yeah, tonight I want to break my chains
The person wants to escape their responsibilities and break free from the mundane routine for a night

Somebody break my heart
The person wants to experience deep emotions, even if it's heartbreak

Somebody shake my brains
The person wants to be moved intellectually by the music

Downtown there's something that I want to hear
The person longs to hear something specific, possibly from their favorite band

There's a sound, little girl, keeps ringing in my ear
The person has a song stuck in their head and wants to hear it in person

[Chorus]
The person wants to be where the live bands are playing and the environment is lively and exciting

I get off from work and I grab something to eat
The person is following their usual routine before going somewhere to listen to live music

I turn the corner and I drive down your street
The person is driving down the street of a loved one, possibly asking them to join them for the concert

Little gray houses darling looks like nowhere
The houses on the street may seem unremarkable, but the person knows the beauty they contain

But hey I know you're hiding in there
The person assumes their loved one is there and invites them to come out and join them

Come on out for just a little while
The person is asking their loved one to come to the concert for a bit before returning home

You know that heart of stone, girl, it just ain't your style
The person knows that their loved one has a soft, emotional side and wants them to show it more often

Tonight I want to feel the beat of the crowd
The person wants to enjoy the energy of the event with everyone in attendance

And when I tell you that I love you
The person wants to express their love to their partner during the concert

I want to have to shout it out loud
The person wants to publicly declare their love with no reservation

I hear the guitars ringin' out again
The music is still playing loudly

Ringin' on down Union Street
The music is still coming from Union Street

There's a rocker's special on tonight
There is a special concert event featuring a rock band on this night

So meet me on down
The person is inviting others to join them at the concert venue

'Neath the neon lights
The concert venue is decorated with neon lights to create a lively atmosphere

[Chorus]
The person wants to be where the live bands are playing and the environment is lively and exciting

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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I hear the guitars ringin' out
Ringin' out down Union Street
I hear the lead singer shoutin' out, girl
I wanna be a slave to the beat
Yeah, tonight I wanna break my chains
Somebody break my heart
Somebody shake my brains
Downtown there's something that I wanna hear
There's a sound, little girl, keeps ringing in my ear

CHORUS
I wanna be where the bands are
I wanna be where the bands are
Where the bands are
I wanna be where the bands are

I get off from work and I grab something to eat
I turn the corner and I drive down your street
Little gray houses darling looks like nowhere
But hey I know you're hiding in there
Come on out for just a little while
You know that heart of stone, girl, it just ain't your style
Tonight I wanna feel the beat of the crowd
And when I tell you that I love you
I wanna have to shout it out loud
Shout it out loud

CHORUS

I hear the guitars ringin' out again
Ringin' on down Union Street
I hear the lead singer shoutin' out girl
I wanna be a slave to the beat
And I want something that'll break my chains
Something to break my heart
Something to shake my brains
There's a rocker's special on tonight
So meet me on down
'Neath the neon lights

CHORUS