Bruce Springsteen

Well far between sundown's finish and midnight's broken toll
We ducked inside the doorway thunder crashin'
As majestic bells of boats struck shadows in the sun
Sayin' it may be the chimes of freedom flashin'

Flashin' for the warriors whose strength is not to fight
Flashin' for the refugees on their unarmed road of flight
And for each and every underdog soldier in the night
We gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashin'

Well in the city's melted furnace unexpectedly we watched
With faces hidden here while the walls were tightenin'
As the echo of the wedding bells before the blowing rain
Dissolved into the wild bales of lightnin'

Yeah tollin' for the rebel yeah tollin' for the raked
Tollin' for the luckless the abandoned and forsaked
Yeah tollin' for the outcasts burnin' constantly at stakes
And we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashin'

And then through a cloud-like curtain in a far off corner flashed
There's a hypnotic splattered mist was slowly liftin'
Well electric light still struck like arrows
Fired but for the ones condemned to drift or else be kept from driftin'

Well tollin' for the searching ones on this speechless secret trail
For the lonesome haunted lovers with too personal a tale
And for each young heart for each channeled soul misplaced inside a jail
Yeah we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashin'

Well starry eyed and laughin' I recall when we were caught
Trapped by an old track of vows for the hands suspended
As we listened one last time and we watched with one last look
Spellbound and swallowed "Has the tollin' ended?"

Yeah tollin' for the achin' ones whose wounds cannot be nursed
For the countless confused accused misused strung out ones at worst
And for every hung out person in the whole wide universe
We gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashin'

Bruce Springsteen is a rock ‘n’ roll icon from the great state of New Jersey. Nicknamed “The Boss,” he’s known for spirited sax-powered anthems about working-class people making their way in the world. Backed by the trusty E Street Band, he’s sold more than 120 million records, won numerous awards (including 20 Grammys and an Oscar), sold out stadiums around the globe, and earned a place alongside his teenage heroes in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Although he’s a living legend who ranks among the most important artists in rock history, Springsteen wasn’t an overnight success. Around the time of his first album, 1973’s Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J., he was dismissed as just another “new Dylan"—some scruffy folk singer with a decent vocabulary looking to follow in Bob’s footsteps. In the decade that followed, Springsteen proved himself to be much more.

His breakthrough came with his third album, 1975’s Born to Run. The record hit No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and landed the singer-songwriter on the cover of both Time and Newsweek. Bruce nabbed his first chart-topping album five years later with The River, and in 1984, he went global with Born in the U.S.A., a critical and commercial smash that produced seven Top 10 singles.

more tracks from the album

CBS/Sony Hot Tracks Collection 1988, Nov. Dec. 1988

From the albums

Bruce Springsteen popular songs

Chimes of FreedomBruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen

CBS/Sony Hot Tracks Collection 1988, Nov. Dec. 1988