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Sub Category : Miscellaneous

Today's song of the day is Born To Run from the album of the same name by Bruce Springsteen. This song really put the boss on the map and remains his most recognizable and biggest hit. Let me know what you think.

Bruce Springsteen's "Greatest Hits" album had this explanation written by him in its liner notes: "My shot at the title. A 24 yr. old kid aimin' at 'The greatest rock 'n roll record ever'."

Highway 9, mentioned in this song, refers to Route 9 in New Jersey which went through Freehold, Bruce Springsteen's hometown.

"The Palace" from the lyrics is an amusement park listed in the New Jersey Register of Historic Places.

When this song was performed at The Spectrum in Philadelphia on the 9th of December 1980, it was the next day after John Lennon's death. Bruce Springsteen opened the show with a dedication, "If it wasn't for John Lennon, a lot of us would be some place much different tonight. It's a hard world that asks you to live with a lot of things that are unlivable. And it's hard to come out here and play tonight, but there's nothing else to do." Springsteen sang Twist And Shout at the end of the concert in tribute to Lennon.

The Rolling Stone list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time has this song at number 21 position.

"Born To Run" is included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.

A notepad page with Bruce Springsteen's early lyrics for this song was sold for $197,000 at an auction in New York on the 5th of December 2013.

Born To Run

In the day we sweat it out on 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
Oh, 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

Yes, girl, we were

Wendy, let me in, I wanna be your friend
I wanna guard your dreams and visions
Just wrap your legs 'round these velvet rims
And strap your hands 'cross my engines

Together we could break this trap
We'll run 'til we drop, baby, we'll never go back
Oh, will you walk with me out on the wire?
'Cause, baby, I'm just a scared and lonely rider

But I gotta know how it feels
I wanna know if love is wild
Babe, I want to know if love is real

Oh, can you show me?

Beyond the Palace, hemi-powered drones scream down the boulevard
Girls comb their hair in rear-view 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

1-2-3-4!

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 can live with the sadness
I'll love you with all the madness in my soul
Oh, someday, girl, I don't know when
We're gonna get to that place where we really wanna go

And we'll walk in the sun
But 'til then tramps like us
Baby, we were born to run

Oh, honey, tramps like us
Baby, we were born to run

Come on, Wendy, tramps like us
Baby, we were born to run

Ru-uh-uh-un
Mm-mm-mm-mm
Uh-uh-uh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Ru-uh-uh-uh-un
Mm-mm-mm-mm
Whoa-oh-oh-oh
Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Ru-uh-uh-un