Bruce Springsteen

[fox69]

THE PROMISE

THE PROMISE


Johnny works in a factory and billy works downtown
Terry works in a rock'n'roll band
Looking for that million-dollar sound
Me I don't do nothing much,
I spend a lot of time alone
Some nights I go to the drive-in,
And some night I stay home
I followed that dream
Just like those guys do way up on the screen
Drove a chopped up challenger
Down route 9
Through the dead ends and all the bad scenes
And when the promise was broken
I cashed in a few of my dream

Well, I built that challenger by myself
But I needed money and so I sold it
I lived a secret I should've kept to myself
But I got drunk one night and I told it
All my life I fought that fight
The one that no man can never win
And every day it just gets harder
To live the dream I'm believing in

Thunder road ...
I stay up every morning until it turns light
Thunder road ...
There's something dying out on the highway tonight

Well now I won big once and I hit the coast,
Oh but somehow I paid the big cost
Inside I felt like I was carrying
The broken spirits of all the other ones who lost
When the promise is broken you go on living
But man it takes something from down in your soul
Like when the truth is spoken, it don't make no
Difference
Finally something in your heart turns cold
Yeah I followed that dream, me and some guysin the dead ends and all the
Two-bit bars
The night the promise was broken
I was drunk and far away from home,
Sleeping with a stranger
In the back seat of a borrowed car

Thunder road ...
Here's one for the lost lovers and all the fixed games
Thunder road ...
Here's one for the tires rushing by in the rain
Thunder road ...
I remember when me and billy, we'd always say
Thunder road ...
We were gonna take it all, and throw it all away

 

[fox69]

THE PROMISED LAND

THE PROMISED LAND


On a rattlesnake speedway in the Utah desert
I pick up my money and head back into town
Driving cross the Waynesboro county line
I got the radio on and I'm just killing time
Working all day in my daddy's garage
Driving all night, chasing some mirage
Pretty soon little girl I'm gonna take charge.

The dogs on main street howl,
'cause they understand,
If I could take one moment into my hands
Mister, I ain't a boy, no, I'm a man,
And I believe in a promised land.

I've done my best to live the right way
I get up every morning and go to work each day
But your eyes go blind and your blood runs cold
Sometimes I feel so weak I just want to explode
Explode and tear this town apart
Take a knife and cut this pain from my heart
Find somebody itching for something to start

The dogs on main street howl,
'cause they understand,
If I could take one moment into my hands
Mister, I ain't a boy, no, I'm a man,
And I believe in a promised land.

There's a dark cloud rising from the desert floor
I packed my bags and I'm heading straight into the storm
Gonna be a twister to blow everything down
That ain't got the faith to stand its ground
Blow away the dreams that tear you apart
Blow away the dreams that break your heart
Blow away the lies that leave you nothing but lost and brokenhearted

The dogs on main street howl,
'cause they understand,
If I could take one moment into my hands
Mister, I ain't a boy, no, I'm a man,
And I believe in a promised land
I believe in a promised land...

 

[fox69]

THE RISING

THE RISING


Can't see nothin' in front of me
Can't see nothin' coming up behind
I make my way through this darkness
I can't feel nothing but this chain that binds me
Lost track of how far I've gone
How far I've gone, how high I've climbed
On my back's a sixty pound stone
On my shoulder a half mile line

Come on up for the rising
Com on up, lay your hands in mine
Come on up for the rising
Come on up for the rising tonight

Left the house this morning
Bells ringing filled the air
Wearin' the cross of my calling
On wheels of fire I come rollin' down here

Come on up for the rising
Come on up, lay your hands in mine
Come on up for the rising
Come on up for the rising tonight

Li,li, li,li,li,li, li,li,li

Spirits above and behind me
Faces gone, black eyes burnin' bright
May their precious blood forever bind me
Lord as I stand before your fiery light

Li,li, li,li,li,li, li,li,li

I see you Mary in the garden
In the garden of a thousand sighs
There's holy pictures of our children
Dancin' in a sky filled with light
May I feel your arms around me
May I feel your blood mix with mine
A dream of life comes to me
Like a catfish dancin' on the end of the line

Sky of blackness and sorrow (a dream of life)
Sky of love, sky of tears (a dream of life)
Sky of glory and sadness (a dream of life)
Sky of mercy, sky of fear (a dream of life)
Sky of memory and shadow (a dream of life)
Your burnin' wind fills my arms tonight
Sky of longing and emptiness (a dream of life)
Sky of fullness, sky of blessed life (a dream of life)

Come on up for the rising
Come on up, lay your hands in mine
Come on up for the rising
Come on up for the rising tonight

Li,li, li,li,li,li, li,li,li

 

[fox69]

THE RIVER

THE RIVER


I come from down in the valley
Where mister when you're young
They bring you up to do like your daddy done
Me and Mary we met in high school
When she was just seventeen
We'd drive out of this valley down to where the fields where green

We'd go down to the river,
And into the river we'd dive
Oh down to the river we'd ride

Then I got Mary pregnant
And man that was all she wrote
And for my nineteenth birthday I got a union card and a wedding coat
We went down to the courthouse
And the judge put it all to rest
No wedding day smiles, no walk down the isle
No flowers, no wedding dress

That night we went down to the river
And into the river we'd dive
Oh down to the river we'd ride

I got a job working construction for the Johnstown Company
But lately there ain't been much work on account of the economy
now all them things that seemed so important
Well mister they vanished right into the air
now I just act like I don't remember
Mary acts like she don't care

But I remember us riding in my brother's car
Her body tan and wet down at the reservoir
At night on them banks I'd lie awake
And pull her close just to feel each breath she'd take
Now those memories come back to haunt me
They haunt me like a curse
Is a dream a lie if it don't come true
Or is it something worse,
That sends me down to the river
Though i know the river is dry
That sends me down to the river tonight
Down to the river
My baby and I
Oh down to the river we ride

 

[fox69]

THE TIES THAT BIND

THE TIES THAT BIND


You been hurt and you're all cried out you say
You walk down the street pushin' people outta your way
You packed your bags and all alone you wanna ride,
You don't want nothin', don't need no one by your side
You're walkin' tough baby, but you're walkin' blind
The ties that bind
Now you can't break the ties that bind
Cheap romance, it's all just a crutch
You don't want nothin' that anybody can touch
You're so afraid of being somebody's fool
Not walkin' tough baby, not walkin' cool
You walk cool, but darlin', can you walk the line
And face the ties that bind
The ties that bind
Now you can't break the ties that bind

I would rather feel the hurt inside, yes I would darlin',
Than know the emptiness your heart must hide,
Yes I would darlin', yes I would darlin',
Yes I would baby

You sit and wonder just who's gonna stop the rain
Who'll ease the sadness, who's gonna quiet the pain
It's a long dark highway and a thin white line
Connecting baby, your heart to mine
We're runnin' now but darlin' we will stand in time
To face the ties that bind
The ties that bind
Now you can't break the ties that bind
You can't forsake the ties that bind

 

[fox69]

THE WALL

THE WALL


Cigarettes and a bottle of beer

This poem that I wrote for you

This black stone and these hard tears

Are all I've got left now of you

I remember you in your Marine uniform laughing

Laughing that you're shipping out probably

I read Robert McNamara says he's sorry



You and your boots and black t-shirt

Ah Billy you looked so bad

Ya, you and your rock and roll band

Was the best thing this shit town ever had

Now the man who put you here

He feeds his family in rich dining halls

And apology and forgiveness have no place here at all

At the wall



I'm sorry I missed you last year

I couldn't find no one to drive me

If your eyes could cut through that black stone

Tell me would they recognize me?

For the living, time must be served

Life goes on

Cigarettes and a bottle of beer

Skin on black stone



High School pictures, paper flowers

Ribbon, red as the blood

Ya, as the blood you spilled

In the Central Highlands mud

Now the limousines rush down Pennsylvania Boulevard

As the rain falls

And apology and forgiveness have no place here at all

 

[fox69]

THE WAY

THE WAY


The way your heart beats when I hold you tight
The way you sigh when we kiss goodnight
The way the wind blows through the trees
Well hey, that's the way you belong to me

The way you warm me baby when I'm cold
The way you make me want you body and soul
The way the rivers run to the sea
Well hey, that's the way you belong to me

The way you soothe me when I'm in pain
The way you make the blood rush in my veins
The way the winds rush through the trees
Well hey, that's the way you belong to me

When I lose faith you take my hand
The way you make me feel like I'm a man
The way the sun belongs to the sea
Well hey, that's the way you belong to me

[Sax Solo]

The way you make me feel like I belong
And if I could girl though I know it'd be wrong
I'd lock you deep inside 'till the last rains fall
And hide you from the emptiness of it all

Sometimes at night I lie awake
I pull you close and feel each breath you take
The way the rivers belong to the seas
Well hey, that's the way you belong to me
Well hey, that's the way you belong to me
Hmmmmm
Hmmmmm
Hmmmmm
Hmmmmm
Hmmmmm
Hmmmmm
Sometimes at night I lie awake
I pull you close and feel each breath you take
The way the rivers belong to the seas
Well hey, that's the way you belong to me
Well hey, that's the way you belong to me
Hmmmmm
Hmmmmm
Hmmmmm
Hmmmmm
Hmmmmm
Hmmmmm
[Fades Out]

 

[fox69]

THE WISH

THE WISH


Dirty old street all slushed up in the rain and snow
Little boy and his ma shivering outside a rundown music store window
That night on top of a Christmas tree shines one beautiful star
And lying underneath a brand-new Japanese guitar

I remember in the morning, ma, hearing your alarm clock ring
I'd lie in bed and listen to you gettin' ready for work
The sound of your makeup case on the sink
And the ladies at the office, all lipstick, perfume and rustlin' skirts
And how proud and happy you always looked walking home from work

If pa's eyes were windows into a world so deadly and true
You couldn't stop me from looking but you kept me from crawlin' through
And if it's a funny old world, mama, where a little boy's wishes come true
Well I got a few in my pocket and a special one just for you

It ain't no phone call on Sunday, flowers or a mother's day card
It ain't no house on a hill with a garden and a nice little yard
I got my hot rod down on Bond Street, I'm older but you'll know me in a glance
We'll find us a little rock 'n roll bar and baby we'll go out and dance

Well it was me in my Beatle boots, you in pink curlers and matador pants
Pullin' me up of the couch to do the twist for my uncles and aunts
Well I found a girl of my own now, ma, I popped the question on your birthday
She stood waiting on the front porch while you were telling me to get out there
And say what it was that I had to say

Last night we all sat around laughing at the things that guitar brought us
And I layed awake thinking 'bout the other things it's brought us
Well tonight I'm takin's requests here in the kitchen
This one's for you, ma, let me come right out and say it
It's overdue, but baby, if you're looking for a sad song, well I ain't gonna play it

 

[fox69]

THE WORD

THE WORD


Well you flash your tongue like diamonds
You tied me to your wildcat schemes
And you forced me into a power dive
And left your mark on my jeans
And I hear the word on your soldiers
And I hear the word on jesus too
I heard the word on the country
But I never heard the word on you
Your love was like a machine gun
I wore your bugle in my belt
And I was your kid glove lover
All the cards were yours
You always dealt
And I stood before your soapbox
Noiseless and shoeless
Playing my pantry boys games
You had your hands raised up to the sky
Shouting oh sunday deity
Oh big daddy longlegs
Come down and bless your sister please
You were shoutin orders about the construction
Going on down the highway
You were namin names, blamin blames
And you blamed me
You wore your heart like a challenge
Far and apart for anyone who came
Open and wide like the river
With rocks on both sides to keep the water tame
But I heard the word on your high tides
And I felt the pain when I tried
To rip your flood gates wide
And pull your body on over to my side
Where we both could hide
But you heard about the freedom ride
And you heard about the highway crew
Who could cut the light a little bit faster than you
So you left me just your shoes
And I hear the word on jesus
And I hear the word on his marching troop
And I hear the word on the country
But I never heard the word on you
With rocks on both sides to keep the water tame
But I heard the word on your high tides
And I felt the pain when I tried
To rip your flood gates wide
And pull your body on over to my side
Where we both could hide
But you heard about the freedom ride
And you heard about the highway crew
Who could cut the light a little bit faster than you
So you left me just your shoes
And I hear the word on jesus
And I hear the word on his marching troop
And I hear the word on the country
But I never heard the word on you

 

[fox69]

THEN SHE KISSED ME

THEN SHE KISSED ME


She walked up to me and asked me if I wanted to dance

She looked kind of fine, so I thought that I might just take that chance

and when we danced she held me tight

when I walked her home that night

we stood beneath the moon so bright

and she kissed me



The first time I saw her I knew I had to see her again

I knew we was gonna be so much more than just friends

I didn't know just what to do so I whispered I love you

She said that she loved me too

and she kissed me



She kissed me in a way I've never been kissed before

She kissed me in a way I wanna be kissed forevermore



I knew that she was mine so I gave her all the love that I had

but I ain't the kinda guy she could take home to meet her dad

Run with me and I'll make you my bride

She was so happy that she almost cried

Then I pulled her by my side

and she kissed me



whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa



She walked up to me and asked me if I wanted to dance

She looked kinda fine so thought that I just might take that chance

I said run with me and I'll make you my bride

She was so happy she almost cried

Then I pulled her by my side

and then she kissed me

and then she kissed me

and then she kissed me