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)
Factory
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Man rises from bed and puts on his clothes
Man takes his lunch, walks out in the morning light
It's the working, the working, just the working life
Through the mansions of fear, through the mansions of pain
I see my daddy walking through them factory gates in the rain
Factory takes his hearing, factory gives him life
End of the day, factory whistle cries
Men walk through these gates with death in their eyes
And you just better believe, boy
Somebody's gonna get hurt tonight
It's the working, the working, just the working life
Oh it's the working, the working, just the working life
Uh hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm
Uh hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm
Uh hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm
Uh hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm
The song "Factory" by Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band is a tribute to the blue-collar workers who spend their lives working in factories, representing the monotony and difficulties of their daily routine. The opening line of the song, "Early in the morning, factory whistle blows," sets the tone for the rest of the song, with the sound of the whistle representing the start of another long day of work. The singer then goes on to describe the daily routine of a factory worker, from waking up early to putting on his clothes, taking his lunch, and walking out into the morning light. The repetition of "Just the working life" throughout the song emphasizes the singer's sadness and resignation to his life-long role as a factory worker.
The second verse describes the harsh realities of working in a factory, with the phrase "through the mansions of fear, through the mansions of pain" representing the physical and emotional toll that the labor takes on the workers. The singer imagines his father walking through the factory gates in the rain and describes how the factory has taken his father's hearing but given him life. The final verse of the song is particularly haunting, describing the workers leaving the factory with "death in their eyes" and warning that "somebody's gonna get hurt tonight." The song ends where it began, with the sound of the factory whistle.
Overall, "Factory" is a powerful tribute to the working class and the struggles they face every day. Springsteen's passionate vocals and the band's driving instrumentation create a sense of urgency that perfectly complements the song's themes.
Line by Line Meaning
Early in the morning factory whistle blows
The start of the day is signaled by the loud sound of the factory whistle, which echoes across the town, waking up the sleeping workers
Man rises from bed and puts on his clothes
The exhausted and weary factory worker has just enough time to wake up, wear his work attire, and leave for work, repeating this cycle every day
Man takes his lunch, walks out in the morning light
The worker carries his lunchbox and heads towards the factory, under the cold and harsh light of morning, with the hope of making an honest day's wages
It's the working, the working, just the working life
The unavoidable repetition of going to a factory, working hour after hour, day after day, just to make a living; having no other options
Through the mansions of fear, through the mansions of pain
The worker's daily commute takes him through the sorrow and hardship of impoverished neighborhoods, disturbing and challenging him at every step
I see my daddy walking through them factory gates in the rain
The singer recalls his father toiling through the same factory gates he now sees before him, in the same helpless situations
Factory takes his hearing, factory gives him life
The factory provides a job and a means of living, but at the cost of physical discomforts and making the worker deaf over time
End of the day, factory whistle cries
The end of the workday is signaled by the same whistle that welcomed the start, with a sense of weariness resonating in every worker's heart
Men walk through these gates with death in their eyes
The thought of going back to the same job every day, with no alternatives for a living, makes the workers look hollow and worn-out, with the weight of mortality in their eyes
And you just better believe, boy
The singer asserts the harsh reality of what goes on within the factory, urging the listener to accept and acknowledge the painful truth of the worker's life
Somebody's gonna get hurt tonight
The frustration and exhaustion of the workers can sometimes lead to fights and violence, breaking out in the factory amidst a strong sense of hopelessness and despair
Oh it's the working, the working, just the working life
The singer concludes that the harsh truth of factory work is that it's a cycle of work, rest, and repeating the same process, sometimes leading to physical and emotional exhaustion; the same cycle his father went through too
Uh hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm
These indecipherable hums and moans musically capture the worker's sense of exhaustion, apathy, and fatigue in the face of the unending working life they lead
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Victor R
"Factory"
Early in the morning factory whistle blows,
Man rises from bed and puts on his clothes,
Man takes his lunch, walks out in the morning light,
It's the working, the working, just the working life.
Through the mansions of fear, through the mansions of pain,
I see my daddy walking through them factory gates in the rain,
Factory takes his hearing, factory gives him life,
The working, the working, just the working life.
End of the day, factory whistle cries,
Men walk through these gates with death in their eyes.
And you just better believe, boy,
somebody's gonna get hurt tonight,
It's the working, the working, just the working life.
Clark Bender
Love this song makes me think of my dad Bruce you're the best
Josep G.
Listening this song i can see my father going out from home to go to work and return tired everyday. Thanks.
anella d'ambrosio
Josep G, anchio penso a mio padre.. Lavorava in galleria con gli stivali di gomma ai piedi tutto il giorno... 😍😘😢💕💋❤️❤️💕
Tim Fellows
2 minutes 30 of songwriting and performing perfection.
sherp2u1
My Daddy walked thru those factory gates for 45-years RIP+....most Mondays there probably was death in his eyes, but he knew if he didn't do it, we wouldn't eat, wouldn't wear shoes or ride our bikes...Thanks Boss, remembering the Blue Collared folks, the backbone and your devoted fans till death!
Jose Jesus Campos Jimenez
El ritmo de esta canción se mete hasta el tuétano de los huesos como el frío del invierno a las 5 de la mañana camino de la factoría.Y los que hemos trabajado allí sabemos porqué ese ritmo...Siempre escucharé a Bruce cuando me fallen las fuerzas...siempre!!!
Hugh Fay
Listening to this song in bed before leaving for the factory at 5am tomorrow on a probably cold and wet morning. Been doing it too long
Marta
O Bruce é maravilhoso,liiiiiiiindo perfeito❤
Marta
Sou apaixonada nessas música, ainda pq o meu amor curte muito❤
VoxGothica
Bruce‘s unending respect for the working man is truly moving.