Bruce Springsteen

Released: November 10, 1998

Songwriter: Bruce Springsteen

Producer: Bruce Springsteen Jon Landau Little Steven

[Verse 1]
You're scrapbook's filled with pictures of all your leading men
Well baby, don't put my picture in there with them
Don't make us some little girl's dream that can never come true
Oh baby, don't do it to me, I won't do it to you

[Chorus]
Mary Lou, I'm not like all those other guys
Mary Lou, I won't fill your pretty head with their pretty lies
Mary Lou, and dreams that never, never, never ever will come true
Mary Lou, that'd only serve to hurt and make you cry like you do

[Verse]
You've seen all the romantic movies, you dream and take the boys home
But when the action fades, you're left all alone
You deserve more than this, a real love that can grow
And I ain't playin' outtakes, girl, from some late late show, no

[Chorus]
Mary Lou, you're not like all those others girls
Mary Lou, so afraid to shake up that real world

[Verse]
Every night, you go out looking for true love and satisfaction
But you always end up setting up for just lights, camera, action
And another cameo role with some bit player you're befriending
You're gonna go broken-hearted looking for that happy ending

[Chorus]
Mary Lou, I've seen all those movies too
Mary Lou, and I know the hurt too much dreaming can do
Mary Lou, you're gonna end up just another lonely ticket sold
Mary Lou crying alone in the theatre as the credits roll

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

The Ties That Bind: The River Collection

From the albums

Tracks (1998)
The Ties That Bind: The River Collection (2015)

Bruce Springsteen popular songs

Mary LouBruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen

The Ties That Bind: The River Collection