Since forming in 1972, the band's members have changed; however, core members include saxophonist Clarence Clemons, organist Danny Federici, bassist Garry Tallent, drummer Max Weinberg, pianist Roy Bittan and, of course, guitarist/singer/songwriter Bruce Springsteen. Guitarist Steven Van Zandt joined the band while recording Born to Run and made this record at least possible. He became one of the most honored and most influential members.
Other musicians important to the band include guitarist Nils Lofgren (who stepped in after Van Zandt quit); guitarist/singer Patti Scialfa (who is also Springsten's wife); and pianist David Sancious and drummers "Mad Dog" Vini Lopez and Ernest "Boom" Carter, who all had left the band prior to Born to Run. Also, The Rising tour saw the official addition of violinist Soozie Tyrell.
In 1989 the band split up, after the massive success of the Born in the USA tour and the quieter Tunnel of Love tour. However, in 1999, the band reunited and embarked on a rather successful 18-month reunion tour - the "E-United Tour" - and now were powered by three guitars (Springsteen, Van Zandt and Lofgren, with Scialfa usually playing a fourth, acoustic guitar).
Following the events of September 11, 2001, Springsteen and the Band embarked on their first studio recordings (excepting a short recording session for Springsteen's 1995 Greatest Hits album) since 1984's Born in the U.S.A. The band recorded The Rising in 2002, and then hit the road for another marathon, two-year tour.
After The Rising, Springsteen recorded two more albums without the E Streeters followed by "Magic", released in October 2007 and featuring the hit single "Radio Nowhere". Magic was followed up by a traditionally strong tour throughout 2008, during which original band-member and friend Danny Federici passed away. Federici had already been temporarily replaced by Charlie Giordano, with whom Springsteen played the year before during the Seeger Sessions. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band rounded the 100-show tour at Harley-Davidson's 105th anniversary celebration.
On January 27, 2009 Springsteen's twenty-fourth album "Working on a Dream" will be released. According to the official press release, Working on a Dream was recorded with the E Street Band and features twelve new Springsteen compositions plus two bonus tracks. It is the fourth collaboration between Springsteen and Brendan O'Brien, who produced and mixed the album. A new tour for 2009 is expected to be announced soon. Springsteen and the E Street Band will play The Super Bowl halftime show on February 1, 2009.
Saturday 27th July 2009 saw Bruce and the E-Streeters played The Glastonbury Festival, England. This was the band's first-ever UK festival performance, a total of 135,000 people watched an epic, two-and-a-half hour headlining set.
Current members
* Bruce Springsteen - lead vocals, guitar, harmonica, piano
* Garry Tallent - bass guitar, tuba
* Max Weinberg - drums, percussion (joined September 1974)
* Roy Bittan - piano, synthesizer (joined September 1974)
* Steven Van Zandt - lead guitar, mandolin, backing vocals (officially joined July 1975 after playing in previous bands; left in 1984 to go solo; rejoined in early 1995) Steven Van Zandt
* Nils Lofgren - guitar, pedal steel guitar, backing vocals (replaced Steven Van Zandt in June 1984; remained in group after Van Zandt returned)
* Patti Scialfa - backing and duet vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion (joined June 1984; became Springsteen's wife in 1991; they have a daughter and two sons)
* Soozie Tyrell - violin, acoustic guitar, percussion, backing vocals (joined 2002, occasional appearances before that)
Former members
* Vinnie 'Mad Dog' Lopez - drums (inception through February 1974, when asked to resign)
* David Sancious - keyboards (June 1973 to August 1974)
* Ernest 'Boom' Carter - drums (February to August 1974)
* Suki Lahav - violin, backing vocals (September 1974 to March 1975)
* Danny Federici - organ, electronic glockenspiel, accordion, other keyboards (on medical leave of absence from late November 2007, temporarily replaced by Charles Giordano) (Danny passed away on April 17, 2008 after a battle with cancer.)
* Clarence Clemons - saxophone, percussion, backing vocals, larger-than-life persona and Springsteen foil (died 2011)
Badlands
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Trouble in the heartland
Got a head on collision
Smashin' in my guts, man
I'm caught in a cross fire
That I don't understand
But there's one thing I know for sure, girl
For the same old played out scenes
Baby, I don't give a damn
For just the in-betweens
Honey, I want the heart, I want the soul
I want control right now
You better listen to me, baby
Talk about a dream
Try to make it real
You wake up in the night
With a fear so real
You spend your life waiting
For a moment that just don't come
Well, don't waste your time waiting
Badlands, you gotta live it everyday
Let the broken hearts stand
As the price you've gotta pay
Keep pushin' 'til it's understood
And these badlands start treating us good
Workin' in the fields
That'll get your back burned
Workin' 'neath the wheels
'Til you get your facts learned
Baby, I got my facts
Learned real good right now
You better get it straight, darlin'
Poor man wanna be rich
Rich man wanna be king
And a king ain't satisfied
'Til he rules everything
I wanna go out tonight
I wanna find out what I got
Well, I believe in the love that you gave me
I believe in the faith that can save me
I believe in the hope and I pray
That someday it may raise me
Above these
Badlands, you gotta live it everyday
Let the broken hearts stand
As the price you've gotta pay
Keep pushin' 'til it's understood
And these badlands start treating us good
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
I wanna find one face that ain't looking through me
I wanna find one place
I wanna spit in the face of these
Badlands, you gotta live it everyday
Let the broken hearts stand
As the price you've gotta pay
Keep movin' 'til it's understood
And these badlands start treating us good
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, badlands
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, badlands
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, badlands
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, badlands
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, badlands
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, badlands
The opening lines of "Badlands" set the tone for the rest of the song. The singer is in a state of distress and possibly danger - there are "lights out tonight," there's "trouble in the heartland," and there's a sense of violence implied by "head on collision" and "smashing in my guts." The singer is caught in the middle of some kind of conflict, "a cross fire that [they] don't understand." But despite all this chaos, the singer is resolute - "there's one thing I know for sure, girl / I don't give a damn." They don't want to be stuck in "the same old played out scenes" or the "in-betweens" - they want "the heart, [they] want the soul, [they] want control right now."
The chorus repeats the idea that "badlands" are a daily part of life. Broken hearts are the price we pay for living in the world, and we have to keep pushing through until we can start to make sense of it all. The second verse shifts gears a bit, with a description of physical labor and a pointed commentary on the disparities in wealth and power - "poor man wanna be rich / rich man wanna be king / and a king ain't satisfied / 'til he rules everything." Despite this, the singer wants to go out and discover what they're capable of. The song ends with the repeated refrain of "badlands," establishing that even if the world is tough and unforgiving, we have to keep going and trying to find something worth living for.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, lights out tonight
The night is dark and dangerous
Trouble in the heartland
There is a problem in this place
Got a head on collision
Something has collided with my head
Smashin' in my guts, man
It hurts and is painful in my stomach
I'm caught in a cross fire
There is danger on both sides of me
That I don't understand
I am confused and do not comprehend what is happening
But there's one thing I know for sure, girl
One thing I am sure of is, girl
I don't give a damn
I do not care
For the same old played out scenes
I do not care for the recurrent and predictable scenarios
Baby, I don't give a damn
I would not care, baby
For just the in-betweens
I am not interested in any middle ground
Honey, I want the heart, I want the soul
What I want, my dear, is the genuine emotional and spiritual aspects of life
I want control right now
I want to have command over my life and situation immediately
You better listen to me, baby
You must pay attention to what I am saying, dear
Talk about a dream
Let us have a conversation about a reverie
Try to make it real
Let us try to bring it to reality
You wake up in the night
You arise from sleep during the night
With a fear so real
You are so frightened and terrified
You spend your life waiting
You are wasting your time waiting for something
For a moment that just don't come
That moment will not come
Well, don't waste your time waiting
Do not waste your time waiting
Badlands, you gotta live it everyday
One must endure the grueling situations every day
Let the broken hearts stand
The heartache must be a reminder to stay strong
As the price you've gotta pay
It is a cost you must pay to experience the good things in life
Keep pushin' 'til it's understood
One must continue to strive until the message is clear
And these badlands start treating us good
And when the situation turns good, it is when the real satisfaction is found
Workin' in the fields
Working diligently outside
That'll get your back burned
This will result in a sore back
Workin' 'neath the wheels
Working underneath the wheels of a vehicle
'Til you get your facts learned
Until you have learned the facts
Baby, I got my facts
I have learned the facts, baby
Learned real good right now
I have learned so well right now
You better get it straight, darlin'
You need to correct your understanding, dear
Poor man wanna be rich
The lesser privileged individual also wants abundance
Rich man wanna be king
The wealthier individual also wants power
And a king ain't satisfied
Even the ruler is not fulfilled
'Til he rules everything
Until he controls everything
I wanna go out tonight
I wish to go outside this evening
I wanna find out what I got
I want to establish my worth
Well, I believe in the love that you gave me
I have faith in the affection you rendered to me
I believe in the faith that can save me
I have faith in the belief that can rescue me
I believe in the hope and I pray
I believe in the aspiration, and pray that it will transpire
That someday it may raise me
Hoping that someday it can elevate me
Above these
Above the current problems
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
For those who felt something deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
That it is no wrongdoing to be joyful to exist
I wanna find one face that ain't looking through me
I want to discover one individual who is genuinely interested in me
I wanna find one place
I aspire to find one location
I wanna spit in the face of these
I want to reject these things outright
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, badlands
Metaphor for the harsh situations one might face in life
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bruce Springsteen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@johnbjelajac9880
Barcelona 2002...the greatest concert ever produced by Bruce and the Band...in front of the greatest audience ever assembled. A magical moment of pure joy... never to be repeated.
@joekovach5789
For me, the best concert is about the energy and how the performers feed off the crowd. I've been to many concerts from Phish, the Rolling Stones, and the Eagles to Foo Fighters, Nine Inch Nails, Guns N' Roses, Van Halen among others. All of those bands come very close, but Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will always be the best one. The energy and how they feed off the crowd is just phenomenal.
@niallmurphy3467
XźX
@goranl2316
One of the very few to come close to Bruce is Frank Turner. You can find some clips of him live here - his songs are easily forgotten in studio, but live it is something completely different, and yes, I am sitting behind a desk.
@ambrosemalone1891
Frank Turner, who he?😊
@SonidosdelRecuerdos_4242
If I had a time machine I would go to this night in Barcelona. It must have been amazing to be in that crowd
@gerinho_4
Best concert and crowd ever existed
@garylobo348
If this song doesn't raise the dead... none will. Incredible!
@74umgrad
I'm constantly amazed with the controlled fury Max brings to his performances.
@mikeberg5003
They don't call him the Mighty Max for nothing!