Badlands (song)

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For other songs called "Badlands", see Badlands (disambiguation).

1978 single by Bruce Springsteen

"Badlands"

Single by Bruce Springsteen
from the album  Darkness on the Edge of Town
B-side|

* "Streets of Fire" (US)
* "Something in the Night" (Germany)
* "Candy's Room" (France)

Released| July 21, 1978[1]
Recorded| February 25, 1978 (completed)
Studio| The Record Plant, New York City
Genre|

* Rock[2]
* hard rock[3]

Length| 4:01
Label| Columbia
Songwriter(s)| Bruce Springsteen
Producer(s)| Bruce Springsteen, Jon Landau
Bruce Springsteen singles chronology
| "Prove It All Night"
(1978)  | "Badlands"
(1978)  | "The Promised Land"
(1978)

|
|

"Badlands" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released as the second single from his fourth studio album Darkness on the Edge of Town in July 1978.[4]

## Origins

[edit]

According to Springsteen, he came up with the title "Badlands" before he started writing the song.[5] He felt it was a "great title" but that it would be easy to blow it by not writing a worthy song for it.[5]

The riff is based on the Animals' "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood".[5] According to the editors of Rolling Stone, the song "tapped into the ferocity of the punk singles he'd been listening to at the time".[5]

## Themes

[edit]

The song tells the story of a man down on his luck and angry at the world, who wants a better lot in life.

> Baby, I got my facts

> Learned real good right now
>  You better get it straight darlin’
>  Poor man wanna be rich
>  Rich man wanna be king
>  And a king ain't satisfied
>  'Til he rules everything
>  I wanna go out tonight

> I wanna find out what I got

On March 15, 2012, in a keynote speech to an audience at the South by Southwest music festival, Springsteen discussed the Animals' influence on his music at length, praising their harsh, propulsive sound and lyrical content. Saying that Darkness on the Edge of Town was "filled with Animals", Springsteen played the opening riffs to "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" and his own "Badlands" back to back, then said, "Listen up, youngsters! This is how successful theft is accomplished!"[6]

In Brian Hiatt's 2019 book, Bruce Springsteen: The Stories Behind the Songs, the finished first verse is said to lay out the "narrator's essential dilemma in a more sophisticated fashion than Springsteen had managed before, acknowledging larger forces at work". He is "caught in a crossfire", Springsteen taking significant lyrical inspiration from Elvis Presley's "King of the Whole Wide World" (particularly the words "A poor man wants to be a rich man/ A rich man wants to be a king"): a song which appeared in the 1962 United Artists film Kid Galahad and featuring, in its single master version, a strong saxophone performance by Boots Randolph.

## Instrumentation

[edit]

The classic E Street Band sound is immediately present on "Badlands", as a brief drum intro kicks in to a powerful piano-and-electric guitar riff. The song is taken fast, with Max Weinberg's dynamic drumming; indeed it contains his most well-known beat, a one-two-three-four-five-six-(double time) one-two-three pattern underneath the verses. Late in the song a brief guitar break leads to a Clarence Clemons tenor saxophone part.

## Chart performance and reception

[edit]

"Badlands" was not a commercial Top 40 success, only reaching number 42 on the Billboard Hot 100, even worse than the album's previous single "Prove It All Night". Cash Box called it "Springsteen at his best with organ backing, guitar work, romping beat and Clemons' sax solo."[7] Record World said that "the message, and the delivery, is emotionally devastating."[8] "Badlands" did achieve considerable progressive rock and album-oriented rock radio airplay at the time, and classic rock airplay since. The song has appeared on eight Springsteen releases: Darkness on the Edge of Town, Live 1975–85, the 1995 Greatest Hits, Live in New York City, Live in Barcelona, The Essential Bruce Springsteen, the Wal-Mart-only 2009 Greatest Hits, and Collection: 1973-2012.

Rolling Stone editors rated "Badlands" to be Springsteen's second-greatest song all time, behind only "Born to Run", and consider it to fit the definition of a rock anthem derived by The Who guitarist Pete Townshend, in that it is "praying onstage".[5] According to contemporary musician Jackson Browne, "Badlands" is "cool and thrilling. There's an economy of language that comes in here. He's building a persona, a lexicon of references."[5]

A lyric video for the song was released in May 2023. Neither Springsteen nor Columbia Records released a statement for the video's making, Russ Burlingame of ComicBook.com deduced it was due to the song's appearance over the end credits in the film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.[9]

## Live performances

[edit]

Throwing white lights onto the floor audience during the rousing choruses is a typical production element of live performances of "Badlands". Magic Tour main set closer, TD Banknorth Garden, Boston, November 18, 2007.

As evidenced by its appearance on three live offerings, "Badlands" has been a staple of Springsteen and E Street Band concert performances. It is Springsteen's fourth most played song in concert besides "Born to Run", "Thunder Road" and "The Promised Land".[10] It opened shows on the 1978 Darkness Tour before the album had even been released, a slot it held for much of that tour (one such performance from Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum was filmed and released as a promotional video in the early 1980s). It was featured near or at the end of the first set during the 1980–1981 River Tour (one such performance from Arizona State University, famously introduced by Springsteen decrying the election of Ronald Reagan as president the night before, was included on Live 1975–85, less the intro), a spot it held for much of the 1984–1985 Born in the U.S.A. Tour until the stadium shows, when it was used to keep momentum going out of the opening "Born in the U.S.A.". "Badlands" was put on the shelf for most of the 1988 Tunnel of Love Express, a mark of how radically that tour sought to throw out stock show elements. Once the 1992–1993 "Other Band" Tour was underway, it was quickly added back in for some needed mid-first-set energy. Springsteen seemed to conclude it fit this role, as he kept it in the same "10 songs in" position during all of the 1999–2000 Reunion Tour and 2002–2003 Rising Tour shows, recapturing audience enthusiasm after less familiar material such as "Murder, Inc." or "Worlds Apart" were performed. On the 2007 Magic Tour, however, the shortened show time resulted in "Badlands" becoming even more prominent as the main set closer. For the 2009 Working on a Dream Tour, "Badlands" resumed its old role as the show opener; it stayed in that slot until the final two months of the tour—when Springsteen chose to play the Born to Run album in its entirety at a show, "Badlands" was usually shifted to be the final song of the main set, which the track "Born to Run" had previously held on the tour.

## Personnel

[edit]

According to authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon, and the album's liner notes:[11][12]

* Bruce Springsteen – vocals, lead guitar
* Roy Bittan – piano
* Clarence Clemons – saxophone, percussion, backing vocals
* Danny Federici – organ
* Garry Tallent – bass guitar
* Steven Van Zandt – guitars, backing vocals
* Max Weinberg – drums

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Releases" (PDF). Music Week. July 22, 1978. p. 71. Retrieved August 21, 2024 - via worldradiohistory.com.
2. ^ "Badlands - Bruce Springsteen | Song Info". AllMusic. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
3. ^ "Top 10 Bruce Springsteen Songs". WatchMojo.com. September 23, 1949. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
4. ^ Strong, Martin C. (2006). "Bruce Springsteen". The Great Rock Discography. Edinburgh: Canongate Books. p. 1,021. ISBN 1-84195-860-3.
5. ^ a b c d e f "The 100 Greatest Songs". Bruce: His 100 Greatest Songs. 2013. p. 82. `{{cite book}}`: `|magazine=` ignored (help)
6. ^ Springsteen, Bruce (March 18, 2012). "Watch: Bruce Springsteen's 2012 SXSW Keynote Speech". NPR. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
7. ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. August 12, 1978. p. 11. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
8. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. August 12, 1978. p. 1. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
9. ^ Burlingame, Russ (May 22, 2023). "Bruce Springsteen Quietly Released a New Video for One of His Best Songs Thanks to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3". ComicBook.com. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
10. ^ "Badlands".
11. ^ Margotin, Philippe; Guesdon, Jean-Michel (2020). Bruce Springsteen All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. London: Cassell Illustrated. p. 110\. ISBN 978-1-78472-649-2.
12. ^ Darkness on the Edge of Town (liner notes). Bruce Springsteen. US: Columbia Records. 1978. JC 35318.`{{cite AV media notes}}`: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

## External links

[edit]

* Lyrics

* v
* t
* e

Bruce Springsteen songs

* Singles
* Songs

1970s|

| Greetings from
Asbury Park, N.J.|

* "Blinded by the Light"
* "Growin' Up"
* "Mary Queen of Arkansas"
* "Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?"
* "Lost in the Flood"
* "The Angel"
* "For You"
* "Spirit in the Night"
* "It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City"

|

The Wild, the Innocent
& the E Street Shuffle|

* "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)"
* "Incident on 57th Street"
* "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)"

Born to Run|

* "Thunder Road"
* "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out"
* "Night"
* "Backstreets"
* "Born to Run"
* "She's the One"
* "Meeting Across the River"
* "Jungleland"

Darkness on the
Edge of Town|

* "Badlands"
* "Adam Raised a Cain"
* "Racing in the Street"
* "The Promised Land"
* "Prove It All Night"
* "Darkness on the Edge of Town"

1980s|

| The River|

* "The Ties That Bind"
* "Sherry Darling"
* "Independence Day"
* "Hungry Heart"
* "Out in the Street"
* "The River"
* "Point Blank"
* "Cadillac Ranch"
* "Fade Away"
* "Stolen Car"
* "Ramrod"
* "Wreck on the Highway"

|

Nebraska|

* "Nebraska"
* "Atlantic City"
* "Johnny 99"
* "Highway Patrolman"
* "Open All Night"
* "My Father's House"

Born in the U.S.A.|

* "Born in the U.S.A."
* "Cover Me"
* "Darlington County"
* "Working on the Highway"
* "Downbound Train"
* "I'm on Fire"
* "No Surrender"
* "Bobby Jean"
* "I'm Goin' Down"
* "Glory Days"
* "Dancing in the Dark"
* "My Hometown"

Tunnel of Love|

* "Tougher Than the Rest"
* "Spare Parts"
* "Tunnel of Love"
* "Brilliant Disguise"
* "One Step Up"

1990s|

| Human Touch|

* "Human Touch "
* "57 Channels (And Nothin' On)"
* "Pony Boy"

|

Lucky Town|

* "Better Days"
* "If I Should Fall Behind"

The Ghost of Tom Joad|

* "The Ghost of Tom Joad"
* "Youngstown"
* "The New Timer"

2000s|

| The Rising|

* "Lonesome Day"
* "Waitin' on a Sunny Day"
* "The Rising"
* "My City of Ruins"

|

Magic|

* "Radio Nowhere"
* "Girls in Their Summer Clothes"
* "Long Walk Home"

Working on a Dream|

* "Outlaw Pete"
* "My Lucky Day"
* "Working on a Dream"
* "The Wrestler"

2010s|

| Wrecking Ball|

* "We Take Care of Our Own"
* "Death to My Hometown"
* "Wrecking Ball"
* "Rocky Ground"
* "Land of Hope and Dreams"

|

High Hopes|

* "High Hopes"
* "American Skin (41 Shots)"
* "Just Like Fire Would"
* "Hunter of Invisible Game"
* "Dream Baby Dream"

Western Stars|

* "Tucson Train"
* "Western Stars"
* "There Goes My Miracle"
* "Hello Sunshine"

2020s|

| Letter to You|

* "Letter to You"
* "Last Man Standing"
* "The Power of Prayer"
* "Ghosts"
* "I'll See You in My Dreams"

|

Only the Strong Survive|

* "Only the Strong Survive"
* "Nightshift"
* "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)"
* "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore"
* "Turn Back the Hands of Time"
* "When She Was My Girl"
* "Hey, Western Union Man"
* "I Wish It Would Rain"
* "Don't Play That Song"
* "I Forgot to Be Your Lover"
* "7 Rooms of Gloom"
* "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted"
* "Someday We'll Be Together"

Other singles|

* "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town"
* "War"
* "Fire"
* "Streets of Philadelphia"
* "Secret Garden"
* "Sad Eyes"
* "High Hopes"
* "Devils & Dust"

Other songs|

* "Be True"
* "Stand on It"
* "Trapped" (live)
* "Because the Night" (live)
* "Chimes of Freedom" (live)
* "The Fever"
* "Stay"
* "Pink Cadillac"
* "Jersey Girl"
* "Light of Day"
* "Chinatown"

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz work

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