Born to Run
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Lyrics


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In the day we sweat it out on the streets
Of a runaway American dream
At night we ride through the mansions of glory
In suicide machines
Sprung from cages on Highway 9
Chrome wheeled, fuel injected, and steppin' out over the line
Oh, baby this town rips the bones from your back
It's a death trap, it's a suicide rap
We gotta get out while we're young
'Cause tramps like us, baby, we were born to run
Yes, girl, we were

Wendy, let me in, I wanna be your friend
I wanna guard your dreams and visions
Just wrap your legs 'round these velvet rims
And strap your hands 'cross my engines
Together we could break this trap
We'll run 'til we drop, baby, we'll never go back
Oh, will you walk with me out on the wire?
'Cause, baby, I'm just a scared and lonely rider
But I gotta know how it feels
I want to know if love is wild
Babe, I want to know if love is real
Oh, can you show me

Beyond the Palace, hemi-powered drones
Scream down the boulevard
Girls comb their hair in rearview mirrors
And the boys try to look so hard
The amusement park rises bold and stark
Kids are huddled on the beach in the mist
I wanna die with you, Wendy, on the street tonight
In an everlasting kiss

(One, two, three, four)

The highway's jammed with broken heroes
On a last chance power drive
Everybody's out on the run tonight
But there's no place left to hide
Together, Wendy, we can live with the sadness
I'll love you with all the madness in my soul
Oh, someday, girl, I don't know when
We're gonna get to that place
Where we really wanna go and we'll walk in the sun
But 'til then, tramps like us
Baby, we were born to run

Oh honey, tramps like us
Baby, we were born to run




Come on with me, tramps like us
Baby, we were born to run

Overall Meaning

Born to Run is a rock song by Bruce Springsteen, released in 1975 as the lead single from his album of the same name. The song captures the restless spirit of teenage life in small-town America, with its themes of youthful exuberance, love, and escape. The opening lines, "In the day we sweat it out on the streets / Of a runaway American dream", are a poetic invocation of this spirit, as the singer and his companions ride through the town in their "suicide machines," dreaming of escape from what he sees as a "death trap." Springsteen sings of the sense of hope and possibility that pervades youth, the conviction that everything is possible if only you have the courage to make the break: "We gotta get out while we're young / 'Cause tramps like us, baby, we were born to run."


Line by Line Meaning

In the day we sweat it out on the streets
During the day, we work hard on the streets


Of a runaway American dream
Trying to achieve our American dream that feels unattainable


At night we ride through the mansions of glory
During the night, we see the life of the rich and famous


In suicide machines
Risking our lives with our fast cars


Sprung from cages on Highway 9
We escaped from the monotony and constraints of our small town through Highway 9


Chrome wheeled, fuel injected, and steppin' out over the line
We have fast cars that we enjoy driving and going beyond our limits


Oh, baby this town rips the bones from your back
This town can be grueling and hard on the body and mind


It's a death trap, it's a suicide rap
This town can be dangerous and crippling


We gotta get out while we're young
We need to leave this town while we are still able


'Cause tramps like us, baby, we were born to run
Because we are restless and always on the move


Yes, girl, we were
Absolutely, we were


Wendy, let me in, I wanna be your friend
I want to be close to you and support you


I wanna guard your dreams and visions
I want to protect your aspirations and goals


Just wrap your legs 'round these velvet rims
Get on my bike and hold onto me tightly


And strap your hands 'cross my engines
Hold on tight to the motorcycle's handles


Together we could break this trap
We can escape this town together


We'll run 'til we drop, baby, we'll never go back
We will run as far as we can and never return


Oh, will you walk with me out on the wire?
Will you take a risk with me?


'Cause, baby, I'm just a scared and lonely rider
Because I am unsure and have fears


But I gotta know how it feels
But I want to experience life to its fullest


I want to know if love is wild
I want to experience a passionate and intense love


Babe, I want to know if love is real
I want to experience a genuine and authentic love


Oh, can you show me
Will you help me experience these feelings?


Beyond the Palace, hemi-powered drones
Outside our town, there are powerful cars


Scream down the boulevard
They make loud noises while driving on the street


Girls comb their hair in rearview mirrors
Women check their looks in the car mirrors


And the boys try to look so hard
And men try to look tough


The amusement park rises bold and stark
The amusement park is visible and overwhelming


Kids are huddled on the beach in the mist
Children are playing on the beach in the fog


I wanna die with you, Wendy, on the street tonight
I want to live life to the fullest with you, Wendy, tonight


In an everlasting kiss
Through a passionate and ongoing embrace.


(One, two, three, four)
A countdown to begin a fast pace


The highway's jammed with broken heroes
The road has stranded and beaten other individuals seeking their dreams


On a last chance power drive
Taking the opportunity to give it all we have while we can.


Everybody's out on the run tonight
Everyone is seeking change, escape or fulfillment.


But there's no place left to hide
There is nowhere else to run or hide


Together, Wendy, we can live with the sadness
We need to embrace the difficulties in life together


I'll love you with all the madness in my soul
I will love you with everything that I have inside.


Oh, someday, girl, I don't know when
Someday, we'll find what we're looking for, but who knows when?


We're gonna get to that place
We will find our destination


Where we really wanna go and we'll walk in the sun
Where we can finally walk freely under the sun and experience our dreams.


But 'til then, tramps like us
Until then, we are still wanderers,


Baby, we were born to run
Meant to follow the road and seek adventure.


Oh honey, tramps like us
Oh honey, we're wanderers


Baby, we were born to run
Born to be adventurers.


Come on with me, tramps like us
Join me on this road, fellow wanderers


Baby, we were born to run
Because we were born to seek the unknown and the thrill of adventure.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bruce Springsteen

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@allws9683

@@johnselwitz5362 I'd go for Glasgow, for football crowd and music audience !
They may play great football (usually) , but the audience at FCB is not the best, lol. That would be cities/clubs like Liverpool, Dortmund, Besiktas (/Istanbul) and ..Glasgow.

That said the crowd here was great !! (With a special mention of the folks standing on shoulders in the Catalan 'Castell' 'human towers' tradition ! 🗼😊).


The proof that this is not just my particular opinion :
"The atmosphere generated by the fans in Celtic’s stadium for our visit was the most impressive I’ve ever witnessed. The grounds of Liverpool and Manchester United are good and the hostile feeling of playing against Real Madrid in the Bernabeu is also excellent, but the atmosphere against Celtic was the best." - Xavi

"Every professional footballer should seek to play at least one game at Celtic Park. I have never felt anything like it." - Paolo Maldini

"I’ve been fortunate to play in some great stadiums in Europe with Barcelona but none compare to Celtic. The atmosphere their fans create make it a very special European night of football." - Lionel Messi

“Every game I have played in Turkey stands out for passion created by the fans – but the best has been at Celtic Park." - Nemanja Vidic

"Anyone going to Celtic Park now is saying, 'You've got to beat that atmosphere, the energy they spend in their games'." - Sir Alex Ferguson

"When we played at Celtic Park for Bayern in the Champions League it was unbelievable and I think all our players said the same thing afterwards. The atmosphere was just totally unique. I've played in lots of big games and stadiums but I've never witnessed fans making that much noise in 90 minutes." - Owen Hargreaves



All comments from YouTube:

@54GARYBOY

Mighty Max the calmest drummer I ever saw in rock.

@cliffmoher1096

Greatest audience in the history of Rock and Roll shows.

@johnselwitz5362

Whether it’s football or great rock and roll music, fans in Barcelona are always superb

@007dbugman

CHECK OUT THE CROWD FROM AC DC LIVE AT RIVER PLATE

@allws9683

@@johnselwitz5362 I'd go for Glasgow, for football crowd and music audience !
They may play great football (usually) , but the audience at FCB is not the best, lol. That would be cities/clubs like Liverpool, Dortmund, Besiktas (/Istanbul) and ..Glasgow.

That said the crowd here was great !! (With a special mention of the folks standing on shoulders in the Catalan 'Castell' 'human towers' tradition ! 🗼😊).


The proof that this is not just my particular opinion :
"The atmosphere generated by the fans in Celtic’s stadium for our visit was the most impressive I’ve ever witnessed. The grounds of Liverpool and Manchester United are good and the hostile feeling of playing against Real Madrid in the Bernabeu is also excellent, but the atmosphere against Celtic was the best." - Xavi

"Every professional footballer should seek to play at least one game at Celtic Park. I have never felt anything like it." - Paolo Maldini

"I’ve been fortunate to play in some great stadiums in Europe with Barcelona but none compare to Celtic. The atmosphere their fans create make it a very special European night of football." - Lionel Messi

“Every game I have played in Turkey stands out for passion created by the fans – but the best has been at Celtic Park." - Nemanja Vidic

"Anyone going to Celtic Park now is saying, 'You've got to beat that atmosphere, the energy they spend in their games'." - Sir Alex Ferguson

"When we played at Celtic Park for Bayern in the Champions League it was unbelievable and I think all our players said the same thing afterwards. The atmosphere was just totally unique. I've played in lots of big games and stadiums but I've never witnessed fans making that much noise in 90 minutes." - Owen Hargreaves

@anderw9491

Something you don't think about... A bunch of amazing songs are too short, this is the perfect length song. At the end, you don't wish it kept going, you just sit there and smile

@diegopenamata

Because this a perfect song. Musically, lyrically and emotinally.

@mitchellkatz1055

45 years of listening to this amazing song and singing along, and it NEVER gets old. Incredible!

@ofthedarknessthemoonlight5412

One of the best rock albums ever. Just jam-packed with poetry and heart.

@meone5112

...that´s because these songs shift their meanings depending were you are in life...

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