Bruce Springsteen

Released: April 25, 2006

Songwriter: Billy Gashade

Producer: Bruce Springsteen Jon Landau

[Verse 1]
Jesse James was a lad that killed many a man
He robbed the Glendale train
He stole from the rich and he gave to the poor
He'd a hand and a heart and a brain

Well it was Robert Ford, that dirty little coward
I wonder how he feel
For he ate of Jesse's bread and he slept in Jesse's bed
Then he laid poor Jesse in his grave

[Chorus]
Well, Jesse had a wife to mourn for his life
Three children now they were brave
Well, that dirty little coward that shot Mr. Howard
He laid poor Jesse in his grave

[Verse 2]
Jesse was a man, a friend to the poor
He'd never rob a mother or a child
There never was a man with the law in his hand
That could take Jesse James alive

It was on a Saturday night and the moon was shining bright
They robbed the Glendale train
And people they did say over many miles away
It was those outlaws, they're Frank and Jesse James

[Chorus]
Well, Jesse had a wife to mourn for his life
Three children now they were brave
Well, that dirty little coward that shot Mr. Howard
He laid poor Jesse in his grave

[Verse 3]
Now the people held their breath when they heard of Jesse's death
And wondered how he ever came to fall
Robert Ford,It was a fact,He shot Jesse in the back
While Jesse hung a picture on the wall

Now Jesse went to rest with his hand on his breast
The devil will be upon his knee
He was born one day in the County Clay
And he came from a solitary race

[Chorus]
Well, Jesse had a wife to mourn for his life
Three children now they were brave
Well, that dirty little coward that shot Mr. Howard
He laid poor Jesse in his grave

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

Jesse JamesBruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen

We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions