Bruce Springsteen

Released: April 25, 2006

Songwriter: Blind Alfred Reed Bruce Springsteen

Producer: Bruce Springsteen Jon Landau

[Verse 1]
Well, the doctor comes 'round here with his face all bright
And he says, "In a little while, you'll be all right"
All he gives is a humbug pill
A dose of dope and a great big bill
Tell me, how can a poor man stand such times and live?

[Verse 2]
"Me n' my old school pals had some mighty high times down here
And what happened to you poor black folks, well, it just ain't fair"
He took a look around, gave a little pep talk
Said, "I'm with you"; then he took a little walk
Tell me how can a poor man stand such times and live?

[Verse 3]
There's bodies floatin' on Canal and the levees gone to hell
Martha, get me my sixteen gauge and some dry shells
Them who's got, got out of town
And them who ain't got left to drown
Tell me, how can a poor man stand such times and live?
Go 'head!

[Instrumental]

[Verse 4]
Got family scattered from Texas all the way to Baltimore
Yeah, and I ain't got no home in this world no more
Gonna be a judgment, that's a fact
A righteous train rollin' down this track
Tell me, how can a poor man stand such times and live?
Tell me, how can a poor man stand such times and live?
Tell me, how can a poor man stand such times and live?

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

We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions

From the album

We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (2006)

Bruce Springsteen popular songs

How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and LiveBruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen

We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions