Bruce Springsteen

Released: November 10, 1998

Songwriter: Bruce Springsteen

Producer: Bruce Springsteen Jon Landau Chuck Plotkin Little Steven

[Verse]
Billy got out of prison, but he wasn't right
Some like to drink or gamble, Billy liked to fight
He tracked back to his home state of Maryland
Went to his mom's mobile home where she took him in, alright

[Chorus]
Rockaway the days, rockaway the nights
Gimme something to last me, baby, till the morning light
I ain't lookin' for trouble, I ain't lookin' for a fight
Honey, rockaway these days, rockaway these nights

[Verse]
Well at a picnic one Sunday, Billy met Mary Dove
Mary looked at Billy, Billy fell in love
Billy swore to Mary he'd always love her so
They were married in the valley where the river flows, alright

[Chorus]
Rockaway the days, rockaway the nights
Gimme something to last me, darlin', till the morning light
I ain't lookin' for trouble, I ain't lookin' for a fight
Honey, rockaway these days, rockaway these nights

[Verse]
At a roadside bar Billy argued with a young man
And he settled that argument with a razor in his hand
With blood on his shirt, back to Mary, he did run
She sighed, "Billy, oh Billy, what have you done?"

[Verse]
He ran to his ma's trailer, but the lights were dim
He pounded on the door, she wouldn't let him in
Up the road to a neighbor's house, he drew near
They said "Billy, go away, we don't want no trouble round here"

[Verse]
Billy stole a car and headed out on the road
Pocketful of pills and his brain on overload
Seen some lights in his rearview mirror, panicked and gave her the gun
Wrapped himself round a telephone pole way out on 101

[Verse]
Well, Billy got cut out by the highway patrol
Just lay there with the cars passing on slow
Sheriff told Billy's ma that Billy died
She buried his body by the riverside, alright

[Chorus]
Rockaway the days, rockaway the nights
Gimme something to last me, baby, till the morning light
I ain't lookin' for trouble, I ain't looking for a fight
Honey, rockaway the days, rockaway the nights

[Verse]
Well, rich man want the power and the seat on the top
Poor man want the money that the rich man got
Honey, tonight I'm feeling so tired and unsure
Come on in, Mary, shut the light, close the door

[Chorus]
Rockaway the days, rockaway the nights
Gimme something to last me, darlin', till the morning light
I ain't lookin' for trouble, I ain't looking for a fight
Honey, rockaway these days, rockaway these nights

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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Bruce Springsteen

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