Bruce Springsteen

Released: October 30, 1984

Songwriter: Bruce Springsteen

Producer: Bruce Springsteen

[Verse]
The runway rushed up at him as he felt the wheels touch down
He stood out on the blacktop and took a taxi into town
He got out down on Main Street and went into a local bar
He bought a drink and found a seat in a corner in the dark

[Verse]
She called up her mama to make sure the kids were out of the house
She checked herself out in the dining room mirror
And undid an extra button on her blouse
He felt her lying next to him and the clock said 4:00 am
He was staring at the ceiling, he couldn't move his hands

[Chorus]
Oh mama mama mama, come quick
I've got the shakes and I'm gonna be sick
Throw your arms around me in the cold dark night
Hey now mama, don't shut out the light
Don't you shut out the light
Don't you shut out the light
Don't you shut out the light
Don't you shut out the light

[Verse]
Well on his porch they stretched a banner
That said "Johnny Welcome Home"
Bobby pulled his Ford out of the garage
And they polished up the chrome
His mama said "Johnny, oh Johnny
I'm so glad to have you back with me"
His pa said he was sure they'd give him his job back
Down at the factory

[Chorus]
Now mama mama mama, come quick
I've got the shakes and I'm gonna be sick
Throw your arms around me in the cold dark night
Hey now mama, don't shut out the light
Don't you shut out the light
Don't you shut out the light
Don't you shut out the light
Don't you shut out the light

[Verse]
Well deep in the dark forest, a forest filled with rain
Beyond a stretch of Maryland pines, there's a river without a name
In the cold black water, now Johnson man here stands
He stares across the lights of the city and dreams of where he's been

[Chorus]
Now mama mama mama, come quick
I've got the shakes and I'm gonna be sick
Throw your arms around me in the cold dark night
Hey now mama, don't shut out the light
Don't you shut out the light
Don't you shut out the light
Don't you shut out the light
Don't you shut out the light

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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