Bruce Springsteen lyrics -- Bruce Springsteen shows -- Bruce Springsteen records

Song title: Born to run


Born to run

In the day we sweat it out in the streets of a runaway American dream
At night we ride through mansions of glory in suicide machines
Sprung from cages out on highway 9,
Chrome wheeled, fuel injected and steppin’ out over the line
Baby this town rips the bones from your back
It’s a death trap, it’s a suicide rap
We gotta get out while we’re young
`Cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run

Wendy let me in I wanna be your friend
I want to guard your dreams and visions
Just wrap your legs round these velvet rims
and strap your hands across my engines
Together we could break this trap
We’ll run till we drop, baby we’ll never go back
Will you walk with me out on the wire
`Cause baby I’m just a scared and lonely rider
But I gotta find out how it feels
I want to know if love is wild, girl I want to know if love is real

Beyond the Palace hemi-powered drones scream down the boulevard
The girls comb their hair in rearview mirrors
And the boys try to look so hard
The amusement park rises bold and stark
Kids are huddled on the beach in a mist
I wanna die with you Wendy on the streets tonight
In an everlasting kiss

The highway’s jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power drive
Everybody’s out on the run tonight but there’s no place left to hide
Together Wendy we’ll live with the sadness
I’ll love you with all the madness in my soul
Someday girl I don’t know when we’re gonna get to that place
Where we really want to go and we’ll walk in the sun
But till then tramps like us baby we were born to run

Born to run - Early version

In the day we sweat it out on the streets
Of a runaway American dream
At night we stop and tremble in heat
With murder in our dreams (schemes)
Sprung from cages on Highway 9
Chrome wheel, fuel injected
And steppin’ out over the line
Baby this town rips the bones from your back
It’s a death trap, (it’s) a suicide rap
We gotta get out while we’re young
‘Cause tramps like us, baby,
We were born to run

So close your tires eyes little one
And crawl within my reach
Oh and wrap your legs round these velvet rims
And we’ll ride tonight on the beach
Out where the surfers, sad, wet and cold
As they watch the skies
There’ll be a silence to match their own

Oh will you walk (with me) Wendy out on the wire
‘Cause I’m just a scared and lonely rider
But I gotta know how it feels
I wanna know if love is wild (baby)
I wanna know if love is real
Oh yes I do

Well outside the Palace the hemi-powered drones
Scream down the Boulevard
The girls comb their hair in custom mirrors
And the boys try to look so hard
Like animals racing in a black dark cage
Senses on overload
They’re gonna end this night in a senseless fight
And then watch the world explode

The Highway’s jammed with broken heroes
And a loneliness in their eyes
Everybody’s (out) on the run tonight
But there’s no place where you could hide
We gotta live with the sadness
Drive through the madness
Oh burstin’ off the radio
Oh well maybe someday girl I’ll get us somewhere
We’ll get to that place we really wanna go
And we’ll walk in the sun
But till then, tramps like us
Baby we were born to run

Notes: These lyrics refers to the early version bruce sang. Pretty different from the definitive version.

Statistics from the KILLING FLOOR (www.brucespringsteen.it) database

Published on the following official releases:

First known live performance: 09/05/1974 Harvard Square Theatre, Cambridge,MA ,USA
Last known live performance: 15/12/2018 Walter Kerr Theatre, New York,NY ,USA

Song 'history':

Played live 6 time(s) during the gigs preceeding the official Born To Run Tour.
Keep in mind that only a small amount of the setlists of these years has surfaced, so it may have been played a lot more.
Apart from the above live performances, the song was recorded during the 1974 and/or Born to Run sessions (and released on the BORN TO RUN ALBUM)
Largely (133 times) played during the Born to Run tour
Largely (97 times) played during the Darkness tour
Performed during the M.U.S.E. shows, in 1979
Played pratically each night of the River tour, with just a couple of exceptions
During the Born in the U.S.A. tour, the song was regularly included in every show
The song (in live version) was then included in the 'LIVE 1975-85' box set
Played during the '1987 bar tour', which is the name under which I group the 1987 shows Bruce played with various small bands, or guesting, in small NJ clubs.
During the Tunnel of Love tour, the song was regularly included in every show
Performed 20 times during the 1988 Amnesty International tour
Bruce 'forgot' it only 4 nights in the Human Touch tour
The song was then included in the GREATEST HITS compilation, released in 1995.
Bruce performed this song during each show of the Reunion tour
The last NY show(s) of the Reunion Tour were released in both CD and DVD (more songs) 'LIVE IN NYC', which included also this song
Played each night of the Rising tour
The Barcelona show of the Rising tour was broadcast and released on DVD 'LIVE IN BARCELONA', which included also this song
The song was then included in the ESSENTIAL compilation, released in 2003.
Played during the Vote For Change tour, in October 2004.
Bruce gave this song one only shot through the Devils and Dust tour (17/11/2005 Continental Arena, E.Rutherford,NJ ,USA)
Played during the rehearsals for the Magic tour, in Sep 2007.
Bruce performed this song during each show of the Magic tour
A stable inclusion in each Working on a Dream tour show
Another version of the song also appears on the 'The Promise' Album, released in November 2010, in the Thrill Hill Vault 1976-1978 DVD volume
Published in live version in the 3rd DVD: House Cut 'Houston '78 of 'The Promise'
Bruce performed this song during each show of the Wrecking Ball tour
Performed every night of the High Hopes tour
Published in live version in the DVD: 'Tempe 80' of 'THE TIES THAT BIND'
Bruce performed this song during each show of the 2016 The River tour
Published in live soundtrack of 'Springsteen on Broadway' show
Performed 14 times during the 2017 Summer tour
A real milestone of each setlist of the Springsteen on Broadway tour

The song was also played in informal happenings or off-tour appearances
Data from the www.brucespringsteen.it database