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)
Working on the Highway
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Talking 'bout the weekend, scrubbing off the dirt
Some heading home to their families, some looking to get hurt
Some going down to Stovell wearing trouble on their shirts
I work for the county out on 95
All day I hold a red flag and watch the traffic pass me by
In my head I keep a picture of a pretty little miss
Working on the highway, laying down the blacktop
Working on the highway, all day long I don't stop
Working on the highway, blasting through the bedrock
Working on the highway, working on the highway
(Woo)
I met her at a dance down at the union hall
She was standing with her brothers, back up against the wall
Sometimes we'd go walking down the Union tracks
One day I looked straight at her and she looked straight back
So I'm
Working on the highway, laying down the blacktop
Working on the highway, all day long I don't stop
Working on the highway, blasting through the bedrock
Working on the highway, working on the highway
Woo
Saved up my money and I put it all away
I went to see her daddy but we didn't have much to say
"Son, can't you see that she's just a little girl
She don't know nothing about this cruel, cruel world"
We lit out down to Florida, we got along alright
One day her brothers came and got her and they took me in a black-and-white
The prosecutor kept the promise that he made on that day
And the judge got mad and he put me straight away
I wake up every morning to the work bell clang
Me and the warden go swinging on the Charlotte County road gang
I'm
Working on the highway, laying down the blacktop
Working on the highway, all day long I don't stop
Working on the highway, blasting through the bedrock
Working on the highway, working on the highway
Working on the highway, laying down the blacktop
Working on the highway, all day long I don't stop
Working on the highway, blasting through the bedrock
Working on the highway, working on the highway
Ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh
Alright, come on
"Working on the Highway" is a song by Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band about a man who works for the county on Route 95 and dreams of a better life. The song details the everyday life of blue-collar workers and the struggles they face as they try to make ends meet. The opening lines describe Friday nights when the workers are done for the week and looking forward to the weekend. Some go home to their families, and some go looking for trouble, which is a recurring theme in many of Springsteen's songs.
The singer of the song is a man who works on the highway all day long, holding a red flag and watching the traffic pass by. He dreams of a better life than the one he has, holding a picture of a pretty little miss in his head. The story then turns to his encounter with her at a union hall dance. They start seeing each other, and one day they run off together to Florida to start a new life. However, her brothers come for her and take her away, leaving the singer in trouble with the law. He wakes up every morning to the sound of the work bell clang, and he is now working on the Charlotte County road gang.
Springsteen is known for his ability to tell stories through his lyrics, and "Working on the Highway" is a great example of this. The song is a commentary on the struggles and hopes of blue-collar workers, and the lyric "Someday, mister, I'm gonna lead a better life than this" has become a rallying cry for those who feel stuck in their current situations. Springsteen's words are powerful, and they speak to the feelings of many who are looking for a way out of their current circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
Friday night's pay night, guys fresh out of work
It's Friday night, and some guys have just finished working. They're waiting to get their paychecks so they can talk about their plans for the weekend.
Talking about the weekend, scrubbing off the dirt
They discuss their weekend activities while washing off the day's dirt and grime.
Some heading home to their families, some looking to get hurt
Some are going home to spend time with their families, while others are looking for trouble and danger.
Some going down to Stovell wearing trouble on their shirts
Some are going to a place called Stovell, and they're dressed to cause trouble.
I work for the county out on ninety five
The singer works for the county on a road called ninety five.
All day I hold a red flag and watch the traffic pass me by
His job is to stand all day holding a red flag, watching the traffic go by.
In my head I keep a picture of a pretty little miss
He thinks about a pretty girl while he works.
Someday, mister, I'm gonna lead a better life than this
He dreams of having a better life than this one some day.
I met her at a dance down at the union hall
He met the pretty girl at a dance in a place called the union hall.
She was standing with her brothers, back up against the wall
She was standing near her brothers with her back against the wall.
Sometimes we'd go walking down the union tracks
They would sometimes take walks together along the railroad tracks near the union hall.
One day I looked straight at her and she looked straight back
One day, he looked at her and she looked back at him.
I saved up my money and I put it all away
He saved his money and stored it away.
I went to see her daddy but we didn't have much to say
He went to talk to her father, but they didn't have much to say to each other.
"Son, can't you see that she's just a little girl
Her father tells him that his daughter is still young and inexperienced.
She don't know nothing about this cruel, cruel world"
Her father thinks that the world is a cruel place that his daughter is not yet ready to navigate.
We lit out down to Florida, we got along all right
They ran away to Florida and things went well between them.
One day her brothers came and got her and they took me in a black-and-white
Her brothers came and took her away, and the police arrested him.
The prosecutor kept the promise that he made on that day
The prosecutor followed through with his promise from that day.
And the judge got mad and he put me straight away
The judge got angry and sent him straight to prison.
I wake up every morning to the work bell clang
He wakes up every morning to the sound of a bell signaling the start of work.
Me and the warden go swinging on the Charlotte County road gang
He and the prison warden work on a road gang in Charlotte County.
Working on the highway, laying down the blacktop
He's currently working on a highway, laying down asphalt.
Working on the highway, all day long I don't stop
He works on the highway all day without stopping.
Working on the highway, blasting through the bedrock
He's blasting through bedrock to make a path for the highway.
Working on the highway, working on the highway
He's working hard on the highway every day.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bruce Springsteen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@saraoliveira5784
Fia, ele não morreu, Não.
Ele tá por aí.
Só não sei se têm alguma Turnê, esse ano.
Se ele vim para o Brasil...
Vamo juntar às Pratinhas pra ir. Hehe.
Santo Deus, Haja dinheiro.
É melhor, eu ir trabalhar colega.
Eu vendo Brigadeiros...
Qualquer coisa, é só se comunicar comingo. rs.😘
@saraoliveira5784
@Valquiria Bueno
Isso é o que eu chamo de amor por um Ídolo...
Seu Bruce canta demais.😍
Eu mesmo amo de paixão...
A melhor banda do Mundo!
Sabe, quem é? U2.
Eita, lasquêra.
É bom demais.
Mas, no meu Coraçãozinho tbm, têm: Sting e Seu Bruce Springsteen.😍
Sou Fã de todos eles.😊
@jakegodfrey4320
Saw Bruce and the E Street Band play this tonight at the same place, ten years since this video. They have not lost one ounce of energy or enthusiasm!
@pietrobassosilva2379
I was there too! Amazing show! :D
@anapana1064
Como amo bruce e sua familia e sua banda e seu jeito humano de tratar a todos......amo pra sempre....sonho um dia assistir um schol lindo desse...sonhar nao e proibido nao é.
Amo de chorar com eles.
@suraiadosreis4815
Aí canta! Essa voz do Bruce e única!🤩
@WilliaNBK7
10 years guys! What a show. I wish I could have been there!
@TheBethoula
So much energy in this song! I love all the extra instruments and back up vocals!
@iamjesper
@Alexander Kalchev I think he's simply comparing it to the studio version of the song, which indeed is a bit dull and definitely not as fun as this live version.
@coop4476
@iamjesper I think additional is the word they were looking for
@holliswilliams8426
@iamjesper I really liked some other songs on the album, but find this one dull.
@liper13
Underrated song! Pure joy.