Eyes on the Prize
The Sessions Band/Bruce Springsteen Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Paul and Silas in jail
Had no money to go their bail
Keep your eyes on the prize
Hold on

Paul and Silas thought they was lost
Dungeon shook and the chains come off
Keep your eyes on the prize
Hold on

Freedom's name is mighty sweet
And soon we're gonna meet
Keep your eyes on the prize
Hold on

I got my hand on the gospel plow
Won't take nothing for my journey now
Keep your eyes on the prize
Hold on

Hold on, hold on
Keep your eyes on the prize
Hold on

Only chain that a man can stand
Is that chain o'hand on hand
Keep your eyes on the prize
Hold on

I'm gonna board that big Greyhound
Carry the love from town to town
Keep your eyes on the prize
Hold on

Hold on, hold on
Keep your eyes on the prize
Hold on

The only thing I did was wrong
Was stayin' in the wilderness too long
Keep your eyes on the prize
Hold on

The one thing we did was right
Was the day we started to fight
Keep your eyes on the prize
Hold on

Hold on, hold on
Keep your eyes on the prize
Hold on

Hold on, hold on
Keep your eyes on the prize
Hold on

Hold on, hold on
Keep your eyes on the prize
Hold on





Ain't been to heaven but I been told
Streets up there are paved with gold

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song "Eyes on the Prize" by The Sessions Band/Bruce Springsteen tell the story of two prisoners, Paul and Silas, who were locked up in jail because they had no money to pay for their bail. The song encourages the listener to keep their eyes on the goal, which in this case is freedom. The prisoners hold on to their hope for freedom and their faith in a higher power. The first verse tells the story of how Paul and Silas found themselves in jail, and the second verse describes the moment when they were freed from their chains by an earthquake. The chorus serves as a reminder to always keep one's eyes on the prize, and to hold on to the hope and faith needed to reach it. The third verse speaks of the sweet taste of freedom and the anticipation that comes with the realization that it is coming soon. The final verse speaks of the journey towards the prize, how it may not always be easy, but it is essential to hold on to hope and faith.


Overall, "Eyes on the Prize" is a song that speaks to the power of hope, faith, and perseverance in times of struggle. It is a reminder that no matter what obstacles we may face in life, we should always keep our eyes fixed on the goal we wish to achieve, and hold on to the hope and faith needed to reach it.


Line by Line Meaning

Paul and Silas in jail
These two men, Paul and Silas, are imprisoned


Had no money to go their bail
They have no funds to pay for their release


Keep your eyes on the prize
Focus on your goal


Hold on
Stay strong and persevere


Paul and Silas thought they was lost
They believed they were hopeless


Dungeon shook and the chains come off
The prison shook and their restraints were removed


Freedom's name is mighty sweet
The concept of freedom is incredibly desirable


And soon we're gonna meet
They will soon attain this freedom


I got my hand on the gospel plow
The artist is committed to his faith


Won't take nothing for my journey now
They will not be deterred from their chosen path


Only chain that a man can stand
The only shackle a person can handle


Is that chain o'hand on hand
Is the one that links person to person


I'm gonna board that big Greyhound
They plan to ride a bus to their destination


Carry the love from town to town
They aim to spread compassion everywhere they go


The only thing I did was wrong
The singer's sole misstep


Was stayin' in the wilderness too long
Was spending too much time away from civilization


The one thing we did was right
Their one correct action


Was the day we started to fight
Was beginning to resist oppression


Ain't been to heaven but I been told
They've heard stories of the afterlife


Streets up there are paved with gold
They say the roads there are made of valuable metal




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Alba Santacruz

Paul and Silas bound in jail
Had no money for to go their bail
Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on

Paul and Silas thought they was lost
Dungeon shook and the chains come off
Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on

Freedom's name is mighty sweet
And soon we're gonna meet
Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on

I got my hand on the gospel plow
Won't take nothing for my journey now
Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on

Hold on, hold on
Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on

Soozie!

Only chain that a man can stand
Is that chain o' hand on hand
Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on

I'm gonna board that big greyhound
Carry the love from town to town
Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on

Hold on, hold on
Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on

Hey!

Hey!

Now only thing I did was wrong
Stayin' in the wilderness too long
Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on

The only thing we did was right
Was the day we started to fight
Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on

Hold on, hold on
Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on

One, two!
(The only thing we did was wrong)
(Staying in the wilderness too long)
(Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on)

Woah, woah!
(The only thing we did was right)
(Was the day we started to fight)
(Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on)

Hold on, hold on
Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on

Hold on, hold on
Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on

Ain't been to heaven but I been told
Streets up there are paved with gold



All comments from YouTube:

Theresa Sledge

Great song...performed by #1 performer...of my life time...❤🐿🍀🌵

Hello Kitty - NL

I think the Sessions Band is really really really AMAZING 😍🤩

Ghila Pan

... I always tremble when hearing this song... YES! A great THANK YOU to: Pete, Bruce, The Seeger Sessions Band, the E-Street Band und to all the others who have these lyrics written into their blood!

Trudy Bengivenni

I always tremble too! And that's a good thing to do in the presence of greatness!

Paul Magee

God I wish I had of been there.... Standing ovation all day long ✌️💚🤍🧡

christhy Francis

What a soulful song, can't but tear up. The Boss is great, God bless him

Lian Reiis

Isso sim é música de verdade

Gary Wolgang

For the younger folks, this song was one of the anthems of the Civil Rights Movement. I first heard Pete Seeger do this song in 1963. A lot of the lyrics come from biblical verse, but the song still has significant relevance today,

Randall Reid

Thank you Gary I love being educated I know Bruce loves Seeger

BLAB1012

The irony of a black man singing about the Bible's twist on slavery completely incorrectly strikes me as sad. The intention of this song is beautiful as is the rendition. Yes, American slavery was evil and celebrating the efforts to end it is fine, but using the Bible to inspire an end to slavery is one of the great contradictions of life. The Jewish/Christian god embraced slavery and advocated it. the Bible is a celebration of slavery which then allows the creator of the slavery to sacrifice himself in the name of ending the slavery when in fact all he has done is create a new version. The good news is all of this is fiction. Just pains me that real horror is clouded by the corrupt use of christianity

More Comments

More Versions