Bruce Springsteen

Songwriter: Bruce Springsteen

Producer: John Hammond

[Verse]
I had skin like leather and the diamond-hard look of a cobra
I was born blue and weathered, but I burst just like a supernova
Well, I walk like Brando right into the sun
And dance just like a Casanova
With my blackjack and jacket and hair slicked sweet
Silver-star studs on my duds like a Harley in heat
When I walk down the street, I could hear its heartbeat
All the women fell back and said "Don't that man look pretty?"
The cripple on the corner cried out "Nickels for your pity"
Them gasoline boys downtown, they sure talk gritty
It's so hard to be a saint in the city

[Verse]
Well, I was the king of the alley, I could talk trash
I was the prince of the paupers crowned downtown at the beggar's bash
I was the pimp's main prophet, I kept everything cool
Just a backstreet gambler with the luck to lose
And when the heat came down, it was left on the ground
The devil appeared like Jesus through the steam in the street
Showin' me a hand I knew even the cops couldn't beat
I felt his hot breath on my neck as I dove into the heat
It's so hard to be a saint when you're just a boy out on the street

[Verse]
And the sages of the subway sit just like the living dead
As the tracks clack out the rhythm, their eyes fixed straight ahead
They ride the line of balance and hold on by just a thread
It's too hot in these tunnels, you can get hit up by the heat
I get up to get out at the next stop, but they pushed out in the street
Your heart starts beatin' faster as I struggle to my feet
I get out of that hole and I'm back up on the street
And them South Side sisters sure look pretty
The cripple on the corner knows I don't pay for no pity
And them downtown boys they sure talk gritty
It's so hard to be a saint in the city

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.

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Tracks (1998)

Bruce Springsteen popular songs

It’s Hard to Be a Saint in the City (Demo)Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen

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