Bruce Springsteen

Released: November 10, 1998

Songwriter: Bruce Springsteen

Producer: Bruce Springsteen Jon Landau Little Steven

[Verse]
I hear the guitars ringin' out
Ringin' out down Union Street
I hear the lead singer shoutin' out, girl
I wanna be a slave to the beat
Yeah tonight I wanna break my chains
Somebody break my heart
Somebody shake my brains
Downtown, there's something that I wanna hear
There's a sound, little girl, keeps ringin' in my ear

[Chorus]
I wanna be where the bands are
I wanna be where the bands are
Where the bands are
I wanna be where the bands are

[Verse]
I get off from work and I grab something to eat
I turn the corner and I drive down your street
Little gray houses, darling, looks like nowhere
But hey, I know you're hidin' in there
Come on out for just a little while
You know that heart of stone, girl, it just ain't your style
Tonight I wanna feel the beat of the crowd
And when I tell you that I love you
I wanna have to shout it out loud
Shout it out loud

[Chorus]
I wanna be where the bands are
I wanna be where the bands are
Where the bands are
I wanna be where the bands are

[Verse]
I hear the guitars ringin' out again
Ringin' on down Union Street
I hear the lead singer shoutin' out, girl
I wanna be a slave to the beat
And I want something that'll break my chains
Something to break my heart
Something to shake my brains
There's a rocker's special on tonight
So meet me on down, meet me on down
'Neath the neon lights

[Chorus]
I wanna be where the bands are
I wanna be where the bands are
Where the bands are
I wanna be where the bands are

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

Tracks

From the albums

Tracks (1998)
18 Tracks (1999)
The Ties That Bind: The River Collection (2015)

Bruce Springsteen popular songs

Where the Bands AreBruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen

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