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)
My Hometown
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And running with a dime in my hand
To the bus stop to pick
Up a paper for my old man
I'd sit on his lap in that big old Buick
And steer as we drove through town
He'd tousle my hair
And say, "son, take a good look around"
This is your hometown
This is your hometown
This is your hometown"
In '65 tension was running high
At my high school
There was a lot of fights
Between the black and white
There was nothing you could do
Two cars at a light on a Saturday night
In the back seat there was a gun
Words were passed in a shotgun blast
Troubled times had come
To my hometown
To my hometown
To my hometown
To my hometown
Now Main Street's whitewashed windows
And vacant stores
Seems like there ain't nobody
Wants to come down here no more
They're closing down the textile mill
Across the railroad tracks
Foreman says, "these jobs are going, boys
And they ain't coming back
To your hometown
To your hometown
To your hometown
To your hometown"
Last night me and Kate we laid in bed
Talking about getting out
Packing up our bags, maybe heading south
I'm thirty-five, we got a boy of our own now
Last night I sat him up behind the wheel
And said, "son, take a good look around
This is your hometown"
Bruce Springsteen's "My Hometown" is a nostalgic, introspective song that looks back on the singer's boyhood in Freehold, New Jersey, as well as reflecting on the broader state of the town and the nation. The first stanza serves to establish the singer's personal relationship to the town, as he recalls running errands for his father and riding in his Buick. The images of father and son together in the car are deeply symbolic, representing a relationship between two generations and their shared love for the town.
However, the idyllic picture is soon shattered when Springsteen's narrator reflects on the racial tensions that were simmering in the town in the mid-1960s. This was a time of great upheaval in America, as civil rights demonstrations and riots were spreading across the country. Springsteen imbues these events with a sense of personal significance, evoking the sense of helplessness that he felt as a young boy witnessing the conflict from the sidelines.
The final stanza represents a culmination of this nostalgia and reflection, where Springsteen's narrator reflects on his own adult life and aspirations. He talks about laying in bed with his partner Kate and dreaming of leaving the town, seeking a better life for himself and his family. However, the song takes on a more melancholic tone as he realizes that his hometown will always be a part of him, and that he must pass these values and traditions on to his own son.
Line by Line Meaning
I was eight years old
The singer is recalling a specific moment from their childhood
And running with a dime in my hand
The singer was on their way to buy a newspaper for their father
To the bus stop to pick
The singer was going to the bus stop to catch a bus
Up a paper for my old man
The newspaper was for the artist's father
I'd sit on his lap in that big old Buick
The artist and their father would travel in a large old car together
And steer as we drove through town
The singer would pretend to drive the car with their father's help
He'd tousle my hair
The father would playfully ruffle the singer's hair
And say, "son, take a good look around"
The father was encouraging the artist to appreciate their surroundings
This is your hometown
The father was indicating that the town was special to the artist
In '65 tension was running high
The artist is recalling a year when there was a lot of tension in their town
At my high school
The tensions were particularly noticeable at the singer's high school
There was a lot of fights
There were frequent physical altercations
Between the black and white
The altercations often occurred between people of different races
There was nothing you could do
The singer and others felt powerless to stop the violence
Two cars at a light on a Saturday night
The singer is recalling a specific incident involving two cars at a traffic light
In the back seat there was a gun
One of the cars contained a gun in the back seat
Words were passed in a shotgun blast
One of the people in the cars fired the gun, causing more violence
Troubled times had come
The singer saw this violence as a sign of difficult times
Now Main Street's whitewashed windows
The singer is describing how the town looks now
And vacant stores
Many of the stores in town are now empty
Seems like there ain't nobody
Few people seem to want to come to this town
Wants to come down here no more
People don't want to visit or live in the town anymore
They're closing down the textile mill
A major local business is closing down
Across the railroad tracks
The business is located across from the railroad tracks
Foreman says, "these jobs are going, boys
The managers of the business are laying off workers
And they ain't coming back
The singer realizes that the jobs and the town's prosperity are gone for good
Last night me and Kate we laid in bed
The singer is recalling a conversation they had with their partner
Talking about getting out
The artist and their partner discussed leaving the town
Packing up our bags, maybe heading south
The artist and their partner considered moving to another part of the country
I'm thirty-five, we got a boy of our own now
The singer is older now and has a child of their own
Last night I sat him up behind the wheel
The singer is describing a moment when they sat their child in a car
And said, "son, take a good look around
The artist is telling their child to appreciate the town they live in
This is your hometown"
The artist is trying to pass on an appreciation for their hometown to their child
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bruce Springsteen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jandolansky3973
I've been listening to Bruce since about 1980, I'm 67 today, I like Elvis, Nazareth, Dire Straits, Cohen, etc. etc. but Bruce is my heart. Thank you for your attention.
@bishopmuzoreva5533
No problem
@AndyL940
I love him too 45 years of pleasure and emotions ❤
@AndyL940
Happy birthday friend 🙏🏻
@jimhaut480
I Like Wagner "BEST" Composer :)
@keithgutridge7259
Happy birthday
@jean-pierredegreef5297
I am 78 and I still listen every day!…
@hhgh6658
❤
@oliviapantic
❤
@Stefano1603
My hero.... Greetings from Austria ❤❤❤❤❤