Bruce Springsteen

Released: November 10, 1998

Songwriter: Bruce Springsteen

Producer: Bruce Springsteen Jon Landau Chuck Plotkin Roy Bittan

Now you say you have a friend
You trust him with your life
You trust him with your money
You trust him with your kids
You'd even trust him with your wife

You better watch what's goin' on when the lights are out
When the night is dark, when there ain't nobody lookin' around
Yeah when the lights are out down in this dirty little town

Well now the world is dark and funny
Better listen up to what I say
You ain't gonna know what's going on
By what you see in the light of day

You gotta watch what's goin' on when the lights are out
When the night is dark, when there ain't nobody lookin' around
Yeah when the lights are out down in this dirty little town

Now you swear that she trusted you
Within reason, I understand
But you kept slippin' in late at night
And in the mornin' you had that smell on your hands

Well now the world is turning, Rome is burning
Me, I'm watching and I'm learning
They say sure as God's hand and the tickin' of the clock
The lord's light'll shine under every slimy rock
Well last night, I slept the sleep of fear
And I heard God's voice whisper in my ear

He said you better watch what's going on when the lights are out
When the night is dark, when there ain't nobody lookin' around
Yeah when the lights are out down in this dirty little town
Down in this dirty little town

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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When the Lights Go OutBruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen

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