Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band are generally regarded as one of the … Read Full Bio ↴Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band are generally regarded as one of the best live bands ever. Famous for their extremely long concerts, the band is well-respected throughout rock. Note that only live recordings can be credited to Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band. The official artist credit for all of Bruce Springsteen's studio recordings (even for those recorded with the E Street Band as his studio band) is Bruce Springsteen.

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)

Paradise By The C
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Where the river runs black
I take the schoolbooks from your pack
Plastics, wire and your kiss
The breath of eternity on your lips

In the crowded marketplace
I drift from face to face
I hold my breath and close my eyes

I hold my breath and close my eyes
And I wait for paradise
And I wait for paradise

The Virginia hills have gone to brown
Another day another sun going down
I visit you in another dream
I visit you in another dream

I reach and feel your hair
Your small fingers in the air
I brush your cheek with my fingertips
I taste the void upon your lips
And I wait for paradise
And I wait for paradise

I search for you on the other side
Where the river runs clean and wide
Up to my heart the waters rise
Up to my heart the waters rise

I sink `neath the water cool and clear
Drifting down, I disappear
I see you on the other side
I search for the peace in your eyes
But they're as empty as paradise
They're as empty as paradise

I break above the waves
I feel the sun upon my face

Overall Meaning

In "Paradise By The C," Bruce Springsteen explores themes of longing, loss, and the search for meaning and fulfillment. The lyrics are rich with symbolism and evoke a sense of yearning for a place or state of being that is elusive and intangible.

The opening line sets the tone with the image of a river running black, suggesting a dark and somber setting. The singer takes schoolbooks from someone's backpack, possibly symbolizing a desire to gain knowledge or understanding. The mention of plastics and wire could represent the artificiality and constraints of modern life. The kiss mentioned here carries a sense of profound connection and closeness, while the breath of eternity on the lips hints at a desire for a transcendent experience.

The crowded marketplace in the next stanza represents the busyness and superficiality of everyday life. The singer drifts from face to face, suggesting a sense of anonymity and disconnection. Closing their eyes and holding their breath implies a longing for something more, a hope for a better reality. This waiting for paradise reflects the anticipation of finding a place or state of being that brings true fulfillment and contentment.

The mention of the Virginia hills turning brown and the sun going down symbolize the passage of time and the fading of hope. Visiting someone in another dream suggests a desire for connection beyond the physical realm, perhaps indicating a longing for a loved one who has passed away.

The next stanza further emphasizes the longing for connection and the emptiness felt. Brushing the cheek and tasting the void upon the lips convey a deep yearning for intimacy and a sense of hollowness in one's existence. The search for paradise on the other side, where the river runs clean and wide, reflects the longing for a place or state of being that is pure, fulfilling, and free from the complexities and disappointments of the world.

The final part of the lyrics describes a sinking beneath the water, disappearing and searching for peace in the other side. Here, the water represents a metaphorical cleansing and a desire to let go of the burdens of life. However, the peace in the eyes of the person being sought is revealed to be empty, suggesting that paradise remains elusive and unattainable.

The mention of breaking above the waves and feeling the sun upon the face brings a glimmer of hope and a sense of renewal. It hints that despite the yearning and disappointments, there is still a sense of resilience and the possibility of finding moments of joy and fulfillment in the midst of the search for paradise.

Line by Line Meaning

Where the river runs black
In a place of darkness and despair

I take the schoolbooks from your pack
I try to relieve you of your burdens and worries

Plastics, wire and your kiss
The artificial and the genuine mix together

The breath of eternity on your lips
The fleetingness of life's precious moments

In the crowded marketplace
Surrounded by the chaos of the world

I drift from face to face
I wander aimlessly amongst strangers

I hold my breath and close my eyes
I anxiously anticipate something better

And I wait for paradise
Yearning for a perfect state of being

The Virginia hills have gone to brown
Nature's beauty has faded away

Another day another sun going down
Time passes without significant change

I visit you in another dream
Finding solace in an imaginary world