THE
RIVER
BRUCE
SPRINGSTEEN
SONGWRITER: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
COUNTRY: U. S. A.
ALBUM: THE RIVER
LABEL: COLUMBIA
RECORDS
GENRE: ROCK
YEAR: 1980
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born
September 23, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He has
released twenty studio albums, many of which feature his backing band the E Street Band. Originally
from the Jersey Shore, he is
one of the originators of the heartland rock style of music, combining mainstream rock musical style with
narrative songs about working class American life. During a career that has
spanned five decades, Springsteen has become known for his poetic, socially
conscious lyrics and energetic stage performances, sometimes lasting up to four
hours in length. He
has been nicknamed "the Boss".
Springsteen released his first two albums, Greetings
from Asbury Park, N.J. and The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle in 1973, both of which failed to earn him a large audience. He changed
his style and reached worldwide popularity with Born to Run in 1975.
It was followed by Darkness on
the Edge of Town(1978) and The River(1980),
which topped the US Billboard 200 chart. His first album without the E Street Band was Nebraska(1982). Born in the U.S.A.(1984),
which reunited Springsteen with the E Street Band, became his most commercially
successful album and one of the best-selling
albums of all time. Seven of its singles reached
the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100,
including the well-known title track.
Springsteen recorded his next three albums, Tunnel of
Love(1987), Human Touch(1992),
and Lucky Town(1992)
using mostly session musicians. He re-assembled the E Street Band for 1995's Greatest Hits and The Ghost of
Tom Joad. His last release of the 1990s was the EP Blood
Brothers(1996).
Springsteen dedicated his 2002 album The Rising to the victims of the September 11
attacks. Springsteen released two more folk albums, Devils & Dust(2005)
and We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions(2006),
followed by two more albums with the E Street Band: Magic(2007)
and Working on a Dream(2009).
His next two albums, Wrecking Ball(2012)
and High Hopes(2014),
topped album charts worldwide. His latest releases include the solo Western Stars (2019) and E Street Band-featuring Letter to You(2020).
Among the album era's
prominent acts, Springsteen has sold more than 150 million records worldwide
and more than 64 million albums in the United States, making him one of the world's
best-selling music artists. He has earned numerous
awards for his work, including 20 Grammy Awards,
two Golden Globes, an Academy Award, and a Special Tony Award (for Springsteen
on Broadway). Springsteen was inducted into
both the Songwriters
Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame in 1999, received the Kennedy
Center Honors in 2009, named MusiCares person
of the year in 2013, and awarded the Presidential
Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2016.
He is ranked 23rd on Rolling Stone's
list of the Greatest Artists of All Time.
The River is the fifth studio album by
American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen.
It was released on October 17, 1980, by Columbia Records.
Springsteen's only double album, The
River was produced by Jon Landau,
Springsteen, and bandmate Steven Van Zandt.
The album was Springsteen's first to go number one on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart and spent four weeks at the top of the charts. "The
River" was nominated for Best Rock Vocal Performance at the 1982 Grammy
Awards.
I come from down in
the valley
Where, mister, when you're young
They bring you up to do like your daddy done
Me and Mary we met in high school
When she was just seventeen
We drive out of this valley
Down to where the fields were green
We'd go down to the river
And into the river we'd dive
Oh, down to the river we'd ride
Then I got Mary
pregnant
And man, that was all she wrote
And for my nineteenth birthday
I got a union card and a wedding coat
We went down to the courthouse
And the judge put it all to rest
No wedding day smiles, no walk down the aisle
No flowers, no wedding dress
That night we went
down to the river
And into the river we'd dive
Oh, down to the river we did ride
Yeah, yeah
I got a job working
construction
For the Johnstown Company
But lately there ain't been much work
On account of the economy
Now all them things that seemed so important
Well mister they vanished right into the air
Now I just act like I don't remember
Mary acts like she don't care
But I remember us
riding in my brother's car
Her body tan and wet, down at the reservoir
At night on them banks I'd lie awake
And pull her close just to feel each breath she'd take
Now those memories come back to haunt me
They haunt me like a curse
Is a dream a lie if it don't come true
Or is it something worse
That sends me down to the river
Though I know the river is dry
That sends me down to the river tonight
Down to the river
My baby and I
Oh, down to the river we ride-ide
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh!