“Thunder Road”

“Thunder Road” is one of my favorite Springsteen songs, and is also the name of a movie directed by Jim Cummings. One of the tracks on Born to Run, it was written by Springsteen and produced by Landau, who also produced the album. The song was recorded in The Record Plant Studios in New York City, and released on May 28, 1975.

“Badlands”

• “Badlands,” the first song on Springsteen’s 1978 release Darkness on the Edge of Town, is a protest song with a heart-pounding beat and simple, optimistic chorus: “It ain’t no sin to be glad you’re alive.” We could all use some encouraging words like that sometimes. The song is about working class struggle and dreaming of better days, but it also serves as an anthem for overcoming negativity and being grateful for what you have.

“Dancing in the Dark”

“Dancing in the Dark” is one of Springsteen’s most famous songs, and it was written to be a hit. It features the classic Springsteen themes of love and dancing, but because it’s so well known you might find yourself humming along without realizing that it’s actually about… dancing in the dark. The song has been featured in movies like “Say Anything”, “Big Daddy”, and “Zoolander”, as well as on TV shows like “Glee”. It’s not my favorite song of his but its popularity is undeniable, and I have to admit that when I hear it I do have to belt out at least the chorus!

“Born to Run”

“Born to Run” is the title track from Bruce Springsteen’s third studio album, released in 1975. The song was written by Springsteen and produced by Jon Landau, Springsteen, and bandmate Steven Van Zandt. It was recorded at 914 Sound Studios in Blauvelt, New York.

The song features a big orchestral sound on a rock ’n roll record with its anthemic lyrics and thundering percussion giving it a sense of urgency and drama. The key of E Major gives it a feeling of hope, strength, and power. Its rousing chorus of “tramps like us baby we were born to run” makes it feel like anything is possible.”

“Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out”

“Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” is a song written by Bruce Springsteen and released on his 1975 album Born to Run. The song, famous for its inclusion of a horn section, has gone on to become one of Springsteen’s most popular songs.

The music video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U6Q_yJhPWw) shows Bruce and the E Street Band performing it live in concert at Cleveland Music Hall in Ohio during their Born to Run Tour in 1976.

The song reached No. 41 on the Billboard Hot 100, when it was released as the B-side of “Born to Run”, and has since been covered by several artists over the years, including Tom Morello and Slash.

But what does the song mean? Let’s take a look at some lyrics:

He got a custom Continental; he got an El Dorado too

He got records of Barbara Streisand singing “People” that’ll just make your heart ache too

“The Ties That Bind”

When you’re feeling tied down by life and its circumstances, this song is your jam. The lyrics are about the ties that bind us to our hometowns, families and pasts, but there’s also a sense of possibility in the refrain “I’ll meet you further on up the road.” Springsteen’s message is: even though we can’t change our hearts or who we are fundamentally, we can change our lives. “The Ties That Bind” was released as a single in advance of Springsteen’s fifth studio album The River (1980).

“Hungry Heart”

The first thing you need to know about “Hungry Heart” is that it’s a pop rock song written by Bruce Springsteen, released in 1980 on his fifth studio album The River. Although Springsteen wrote the song back in early 1979, he decided not to include it on his previous album Darkness on the Edge of Town; Columbia Records subsequently gave the song to The Ramones, but they also turned it down. The single was successful commercially: it was number 5 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and was certified Gold for 500,000 units sold. It hit number 1 in Canada, New Zealand, and Australia and number 6 in the UK. Perhaps most impressively, this track was Springsteen’s first—and only—number 1 hit in the United States.

From a musical perspective, what I love about this song is how different its energy is from other tracks on The River. While many songs off that record are hard-hitting and aggressive (for example “Out In The Street,” “Independence Day,” “Ramrod”), “Hungry Heart” has a more lighthearted melody that makes me feel warm inside (just like a nice cup of hot chocolate!)

“I’m on Fire”

• Released in 1984, this song was one of the top 10 hits from his album Born in the U.S.A., and peaked at #6 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on Canada’s RPM singles chart
• Written by Bruce Springsteen
• Frequently performed live, “I’m on Fire” has been covered by many artists
• Appears on album Born in the U.S.A.

“Glory Days”

“Glory Days” is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen. It was released in 1985 on his album Born in the U.S.A.. It is about nostalgia, and a reflection on Springsteen’s early days as a musician.

There are two stories that Bruce has told about the inspiration for this song

• One story revolves around an old high school friend of Springsteen’s named Kevin Maher from Freehold High School, who had not been able to “get it together” after graduation and was now spending his life at Mrs. Grogan’s Bar in Red Bank, New Jersey
• The other story deals with Denis “Pino” Pandolfi, a regular at the Stone Pony whom Springsteen called one night and invited to come over to record some tracks (he is often credited as playing organ on “Glory Days”). The engineer set him up with headphones too big for him so he had them stuffed with paper towels which cut down somewhat on their effectiveness—leading to Pandolfi’s organ being considerably out of time during the recording session. This take was used on the album although it was slightly sped up so that his timing error would be less obvious; that sped-up tape can still be heard when the song fades out

“Cover Me”

“Cover Me” is a staple on any Springsteen playlist and was released in 1984, but it was recorded at the Power Station in NYC. It was produced by Springsteen and Chuck Plotkin. The song is all about a guy trying to pick up a girl (the protagonist), but has no luck. She’s looking for something more than he can give her, so she kind of plays with him. It’s fun, though!

“I’m Goin’ Down”

I could go on about Bruce’s beautifully textured voice, but I think we all already know that. And the lyrics are so funny because he’s like “Laying me down in a bed of roses/Covering my body with sweet perfumes,” and there’s a part where he goes “Your daddy’s rich and your mama’s good looking” (because if you were really broken up over this girl, you wouldn’t care what her mom looked like) and then the chorus is just him screaming “I’m goin’ down!” This song is a little more upbeat than my usual picks but I feel we need to shake things up sometimes.

If you like jessica springsteen, you might like some of these songs.

If you like Jessica Springsteen, you might also like these songs.

• Dancing in the Dark. A great song for listening to when you’re feeling down.
• Born in the USA. This song is good for running to because it’s upbeat and has a lot of energy.
• Streets of Philadelphia. Another great song for running or dancing to.