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)
Racing in the Street
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fuelie heads and a Hurst on the floor
She's waiting tonight down in the parking lot
Outside the 7-Eleven store
Me and my partner Sonny built her straight out of scratch
And he rides with me from town to town
We only run for the money, got no strings attached
We shut 'em up and then we shut 'em down
Tonight, tonight the strip's just right
I want to blow 'em off in my first heat
Summer's here and the time is right
For racing in the street
We take all the action we can meet
And we cover all the northeast state
When the strip shuts down we run 'em in the street
From the fire roads to the interstate
Now some guys they just give up living
And start dying little by little, piece by piece
Some guys come home from work and wash up
Then go racing in the street
Tonight, tonight the strip's just right
I want to blow 'em all out of their seats
We're calling out around the world, we're going racing in the street
I met her on the strip three years ago
In a Camaro with this dude from L.A.
I blew that Camaro off my back
And drove that little girl away
But now there's wrinkles 'round my baby's eyes
And she cries herself to sleep at night
When I come home, the house is dark
She sighs, "Baby, did you make it all right"
She sits on the porch of her daddy's house
But all her pretty dreams are torn
She stares off alone into the night
With the eyes of one who hates for just being born
For all the shut down strangers and hot rod angels
Rumbling through this promised land
Tonight my baby and me, we're gonna ride to the sea
And wash these sins off our hands
Tonight, tonight the highway's bright
Out of our way, mister, you best keep
'Cause summer's here and the time is right
For racing in the street
In Racing in the Street, Bruce Springsteen tells the story of a man who finds solace in racing cars, and the toll it takes on his life, specifically his relationship with his girlfriend. The song starts with the singer introducing his car, a customized sixty-nine Chevy, and his partner Sonny, who helped him build it. The two men are dedicated to racing, and only do it for the money. They travel around the northeast to compete in races.
The chorus describes the thrill of racing and the excitement of summer nights: "Tonight, tonight the strip's just right, I want to blow 'em off in my first heat, Summer's here and the time is right, For racin' in the street." The second verse talks about how the singer and Sonny take any opportunity to race, even after the official racing strip is closed. They race on fire roads and interstates, looking for any chance to prove themselves.
The final verse is the saddest part of the song. The singer reveals that he used to have a girlfriend whom he met on the strip. She used to race with him, but she's grown older since then, and the singer has moved on to other race cars and younger women. When he comes home late at night, she worries about him and feels lonely. She no longer shares his passion for racing, and her dreams have been destroyed. The singer feels guilty for being the one to cause her pain.
Line by Line Meaning
I got a sixty-nine Chevy with a 396
I have a 1969 Chevrolet car with a 396 cubic inch big block engine
Fuelie heads and a Hurst on the floor
It has fuel injection heads and a Hurst shifter on the floor
She's waiting tonight down in the parking lot, outside the Seven-Eleven store
My car is parked at the Seven-Eleven store, waiting for me to take it out tonight
Me and my partner Sonny built her straight out of scratch, and he rides with me from town to town
My partner Sonny and I built the car from scratch, and he accompanies me wherever we go
We only run for the money, got no strings attached, we shut 'em up and then we shut 'em down
We only participate in races for the prize money, we have no personal attachments to the sport, and we win races convincingly
Tonight, tonight the strip's just right, I want to blow 'em off in my first heat
The racing strip is perfect tonight for me to win my first heat easily
Summer's here and the time is right, for racin' in the street
Summer is the perfect season for us to participate in street racing
We take all the action we can meet, and we cover all the northeast state
We participate in as many races as we can, covering all of the Northeastern states
When the strip shuts down we run 'em in the street, from the fire roads to the interstate
When the official race is over, we continue to race on public roads, from dirt roads to highways
Some guys they just give up living, and start dying little by little, piece by piece
Some people lose their passion for life and gradually die inside
Some guys come home from work and wash up, and go racin' in the street
Some people come home from work, clean up, and then go street racing
Tonight, tonight the strip's just right, I want to blow 'em all out of their seats
Tonight's race is going to be so exciting that I want to impress people and make them jump out of their seats
Calling out around the world, we're going racin' in the street
We are inviting everyone around the world to join us in street racing
I met her on the strip three years ago, in a Camaro with this dude from L.A.
I met my girlfriend on the racing strip three years ago, while she was with a guy from Los Angeles in a Camaro
I blew that Camaro off my back, and drove that little girl away
I defeated the Camaro in the race and drove away with my girlfriend
But now there's wrinkles around my baby's eyes, and she cries herself to sleep at night
My girlfriend is aging, and she cries herself to sleep because of our dangerous lifestyle
When I come home the house is dark, she sighs, 'baby did you make it all right,'
When I return home after racing, the house is dark, and my girlfriend asks if I am okay
She sits on the porch of her daddy's house, but all her pretty dreams are torn
My girlfriend sits on her father's porch, but her hopes and dreams have been crushed by our lifestyle
She stares off alone into the night, with the eyes of one who hates for just being born
My girlfriend looks out into the night with eyes filled with hatred for her own existence and destiny
For all the shut down strangers and hot rod angels, rumbling through this promised land
This line refers to the many street racers and their cars, moving through America
Tonight my baby and me, we're gonna ride to the sea, and wash these sins off our hands
Tonight my girlfriend and I will ride to the sea to rid ourselves of our sins
Tonight, tonight the highway's bright, out of our way, mister, you best keep
The highway is empty and clear for us to drive on, and anyone in our way should move quickly
'Cause summer's here and the time is right, for racin' in the street
Because it's summer, it's the perfect time to go street racing
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bruce Springsteen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@emilioreyes7358
I'm 8teen yrs old now, an I'm completely grateful to have had the pleasure of knowin Bruce's lyrics.
I'm from Mexico, my father intrduced me bruce's music when I was just a kid and I used to go with him to the baseball park while Born in the usa was playin all the road long.
My father had an older Brother named Roberto, who died at 25, i guess.
My dad was just as old as I'm now back then. He once told me that his brother liked this song. It was the first and main reason i got engached with this poetry
And as I grew up, I started seeing the shadows behind my dad's eyes because of his brothes pass. I'm sure it changed his life.
And as the lyrics goes, i conviced myself the guy who springsteen talks about can be related to my dad and how both of them just needed a ride to the sea an wash those sins off their hands.
This song is probably the one that will be played at my funeral.
I feel like i just wrote it in another life.
Best song ever
@mikemcf33
this man has written the best songs ever written. He has commanded the stage like no other. Thank God we've had him add color to all of our lives for so many years
@annapohoryles4409
and lots of these songs he's created under '30 - brilliant, genius artist ever and forever !!! Thank God for him !!!
@annapohoryles4409
@@kayp4601 :)
@paulhare662
Indeed a fine song and seeing the E Street Band live was unforgettable. But, you can't put "fuelie heads" on a 396. What a dipstick lyric to start a car song out with.
@mikemcf33
@@paulhare662 you are missing the point
@umbertonovelli6904
the next Nobel Prize in Literature, i hope
@jensrandel5354
“She stares off alone into the night with the eyes of one who hates for just being born”… only Bruce could write that pure poetry
@mikem-uz3zv
That’s a punch in the gut lyric right there.
@donalmurray7859
One of his best lines. And there are so many
@jaredmattson3925
Anyone who says no is a hater🎉