Bruce Springsteen

Released: March 31, 1992

Songwriter: Bruce Springsteen

Producer: Bruce Springsteen Jon Landau Chuck Plotkin

[Verse 1]
Billy had a mistress down on 'A' an 12th
She was that little somethin' that he did for himself
His own little secret, didn't hurt nobody
Come the afternoon, he'd take her wadin'

[Chorus]
Waist deep in the big muddy
Waist deep in the big muddy
You start out standing, but end up crawlin'

[Verse 2]
Got in some trouble and needed a hand from a friend of mine
This old friend had a figure in mind
It was nothing illegal, just a little bit funny
He said "C'mon, don't tell me that the rich don't know
Sooner or later, it all comes down to money"

[Chorus]
And you're waist deep in the big muddy
Waist deep in the big muddy
You start on higher ground, but end up crawlin'

[Bridge]
Well I had a friend said, "You watch what you do
Poison snake bites you and you're poison too"

[Verse 3]
How beautiful the river flows and the birds, they sing
But you and I, we're messier things
They're ain't no one leavin' this world, buddy
Without their shirttail dirty or their hands a little bloody

[Outro]
Waist deep in the big muddy
Waist deep in the big muddy
You start on higher ground, but end up somehow crawlin'
Waist deep in the big muddy
Waist deep in the big muddy
Waist deep in the big muddy
Woo!
Woo

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

Lucky Town

From the album

Lucky Town (1992)

Bruce Springsteen popular songs

The Big MuddyBruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen

Lucky Town