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 1978
Recorded| February 25, 1978 (completed)
Studio| The Record Plant, New York City
Genre|

* Rock[1]
* hard rock[2]

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 American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released as the second single from his fourth studio album Darkness on the Edge of Town in July 1978.[3]

## Origins[edit]

According to Springsteen, he came up with the title "Badlands" before he started writing the song.[4] He felt it was a "great title" but that it would be easy to blow it by not writing a worthy song for it.[4]

The riff is based on the Animals' "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood".[4] 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".[4]

## 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!"[5]

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."[6] Record World said that "the message, and the delivery, is emotionally devastating."[7] "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".[4] 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."[4]

## 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. Indeed, it is Springsteen's fourth most played song in concert besides "Born to Run", "Thunder Road" and "The Promised Land".[8] 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.

## In popular culture[edit]

The song was used in the end credits of the 2023 film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

## Personnel[edit]

According to authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon:[9]

* Bruce Springsteen – vocals, guitars
* 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. ^ "Badlands - Bruce Springsteen | Song Info". AllMusic. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
2. ^ "Top 10 Bruce Springsteen Songs". WatchMojo.com. September 23, 1949. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
3. ^ Strong, Martin C. (2006). "Bruce Springsteen". The Great Rock Discography. Edinburgh: Canongate Books. p. 1,021. ISBN 1-84195-860-3.
4. ^ a b c d e f "The 100 Greatest Songs". Bruce: His 100 Greatest Songs. Rolling Stone. 2013. p. 82.
5. ^ Springsteen, Bruce (March 18, 2012). "Watch: Bruce Springsteen's 2012 SXSW Keynote Speech". NPR. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
6. ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. August 12, 1978. p. 11. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
7. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. August 12, 1978. p. 1. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
8. ^ "Badlands".
9. ^ 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.

## External links[edit]

* Lyrics

* v
* t
* e

Bruce Springsteen

* E Street Band

* Bruce Springsteen
* Garry Tallent
* Roy Bittan
* Max Weinberg
* Steven Van Zandt
* Nils Lofgren
* Patti Scialfa

* Soozie Tyrell
* Charles Giordano
* Jake Clemons

* Ernest Carter
* Clarence Clemons
* Danny Federici
* Vini Lopez
* David Sancious

Studio albums|

* Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. (1973)
* The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle (1973)
* Born to Run (1975)
* Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978)
* The River (1980)
* Nebraska (1982)
* Born in the U.S.A. (1984)
* Tunnel of Love (1987)
* Human Touch (1992)
* Lucky Town (1992)
* The Ghost of Tom Joad (1995)
* The Rising (2002)
* Devils & Dust (2005)
* We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (2006)
* Magic (2007)
* Working on a Dream (2009)
* Wrecking Ball (2012)
* High Hopes (2014)
* Western Stars (2019)
* Letter to You (2020)
* Only the Strong Survive (2022)

Live albums|

* Live 1975–85 (1986)
* In Concert/MTV Plugged (1993)
* Live in New York City (2001)
* Hammersmith Odeon London '75 (2006)
* Live in Dublin (2007)
* Springsteen on Broadway (2018)
* The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts (2021)

Bruce Springsteen
Archives|

* Apollo Theater 3/09/12 (2014)
* The Agora, Cleveland 1978 (2015)
* Tower Theater, Philadelphia 1975 (2015)
* Nassau Coliseum, New York 1980 (2015)
* Brendan Byrne Arena, New Jersey 1984 (2015)
* LA Sports Arena, California 1988 (2015)
* Schottenstein Center, Ohio 2005 (2015)
* Ippodromo delle Capannelle, Rome 2013 (2015)
* Arizona State University, Tempe 1980 (2015)
* The Christic Shows 1990 (2016)
* HSBC Arena, Buffalo, NY, 11/22/09 (2016)
* Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO, 8/23/08 (2017)
* Olympiastadion, Helsinki, July 31, 2012 (2017)
* Palace Theatre, Albany 1977 (2017)
* Auditorium Theatre, Rochester, NY 1977 (2017)
* The Summit, Houston, TX December 8, 1978 (2017)

Soundtracks|

* Western Stars – Songs from the Film (2019)

Compilations|

* Greatest Hits (1995)
* 18 Tracks (1999)
* The Essential Bruce Springsteen (2003)
* Greatest Hits (2009)
* The Promise (2010)
* Collection: 1973–2012 (2013)
* Chapter and Verse (2016)

Box sets|

* The Born in the U.S.A. 12" Single Collection (1985)
* Tracks (1998)
* The Collection (2004)
* Born to Run: 30th Anniversary Edition (2005)
* The Collection 1973–1984 (2010)
* The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story (2010)
* The Album Collection Vol. 1 1973–1984 (2014)
* The Ties That Bind: The River Collection (2015)

EPs|

* Live Collection (1987)
* Chimes of Freedom (1988)
* Blood Brothers (1996)
* PBS Exclusive (2007)
* Magic Tour Highlights (2008)
* American Beauty (2014)

Songs|

| Singles|

* "Blinded by the Light"
* "Spirit in the Night"
* "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)"
* "Born to Run"
* "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out"
* "Prove It All Night"
* "Badlands"
* "The Promised Land"
* "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)"
* "Hungry Heart"
* "Fade Away"
* "The River"
* "Cadillac Ranch"
* "Point Blank"
* "Atlantic City"
* "Open All Night"
* "Dancing in the Dark"
* "Cover Me"
* "Born in the U.S.A."
* "I'm on Fire"
* "Glory Days"
* "I'm Goin' Down"
* "My Hometown"
* "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town"
* "War"
* "Fire"
* "Brilliant Disguise"
* "Tunnel of Love"
* "One Step Up"
* "Tougher Than the Rest"
* "Spare Parts"
* "Human Touch"
* "57 Channels (And Nothin' On)"
* "Better Days"
* "Streets of Philadelphia"
* "Secret Garden"
* "The Ghost of Tom Joad"
* "Sad Eyes"
* "The Rising"
* "Lonesome Day"
* "Waitin' on a Sunny Day"
* "Devils & Dust"
* "Radio Nowhere"
* "Girls in Their Summer Clothes"
* "Working on a Dream"
* "My Lucky Day"
* "The Wrestler"
* "We Take Care of Our Own"
* "Death to My Hometown"
* "High Hopes"
* "Just Like Fire Would"
* "Hello Sunshine"
* "There Goes My Miracle"
* "Tucson Train"
* "Western Stars"
* "Letter to You"
* "Ghosts"
* "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)"
* "Nighshift"
* "Don't Play That Song"
* "Turn Back the Hands of Time"

|

Charting songs|

* "Be True"
* "Ramrod"
* "Nebraska"
* "Johnny 99"
* "No Surrender"
* "Bobby Jean"
* "Stand on It"
* "Trapped" (live)
* "Because the Night" (live)
* "Chimes of Freedom" (live)
* "Youngstown"
* "American Skin (41 Shots)"
* "Pay Me My Money Down"
* "Long Walk Home"
* "My City of Ruins"
* "Rocky Ground"
* "The Power of Prayer"

Other songs|

* "Growin' Up"
* "For You"
* "Incident on 57th Street"
* "The Fever"
* "Thunder Road"
* "Night"
* "Backstreets"
* "She's the One"
* "Meeting Across the River"
* "Jungleland"
* "Adam Raised a Cain"
* "Racing in the Street"
* "Darkness on the Edge of Town"
* "Stay"
* "The Ties That Bind"
* "Independence Day"
* "Out in the Street"
* "Stolen Car"
* "Wreck on the Highway"
* "Highway Patrolman"
* "Darlington County"
* "Working on the Highway"
* "Downbound Train"
* "Pink Cadillac"
* "Jersey Girl"
* "Light of Day"
* "The New Timer"
* "Land of Hope and Dreams"
* "Hunter of Invisible Game"
* "Chinatown"

Video releases|

* Video Anthology / 1978–88 (1989)
* In Concert/MTV Plugged (1992)
* Blood Brothers (1996)
* The Complete Video Anthology / 1978–2000 (2001)
* Live in New York City (2001)
* Live in Barcelona (2003)
* VH1 Storytellers (2005)
* Wings for Wheels (2005)
* Hammersmith Odeon London '75 (2005)
* Live in Dublin (2007)
* Magic Tour Highlights (2008)
* London Calling: Live in Hyde Park (2010)
* The Promise: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town (2010)
* Springsteen & I (2013)
* Born in the U.S.A. Live: London 2013 (2014)
* A MusiCares Tribute to Bruce Springsteen (2014)
* Bruce Springsteen's High Hopes (2014)
* High Hopes in South Africa (2014)
* Hunter of Invisible Game (2014)

Concerts|

* Born to Run tours (1974–77)
* Darkness Tour (1978)
* The River Tour (1980–81)
* Born in the U.S.A. Tour (1984–85)
* Tunnel of Love Express (1988)
* Human Rights Now! (1988)
* Bruce Springsteen 1992–1993 World Tour (1992–93)
* Ghost of Tom Joad Tour (1995–97)
* Reunion Tour (1999–2000)
* Rising Tour (2002–03)
* Vote for Change (2004)
* Devils & Dust Tour (2005)
* Seeger Sessions Band Tour (2006)
* Magic Tour (2007–08)
* Working on a Dream Tour (2009)
* Wrecking Ball World Tour (2012–13)
* High Hopes Tour (2014)
* The River Tour (2016)
* Summer '17 (2017)
* Springsteen on Broadway (2017–18, 2021)
* 2023 Tour (2023)

Related people|

* Jessica Springsteen
* Pamela Springsteen
* Jon Landau
* John Hammond
* Mike Appel
* Phil Petillo
* Marie Castello
* Southside Johnny
* Brendan O'Brien
* Ron Aniello
* Toby Scott
* Bob Clearmountain
* Chuck Plotkin
* Jimmy Iovine
* Dave Marsh
* Eric Meola
* Frank Stefanko
* Lynn Goldsmith
* Annie Leibovitz
* Danny Clinch

Related articles|

* Discography
* E Street Band
* Steel Mill
* The Sessions Band
* The Miami Horns
* Born to Run autobiography
* E Street Radio
* Little Steven's Underground Garage
* Outlaw Pete
* Columbia Records
* 914 Sound Studios
* Record Plant
* Power Station
* The Hit Factory
* The Max Weinberg 7
* Badlands: A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska
* Greetings from E Street
* Backstreets Magazine
* The Upstage Club
* The Stone Pony
* Fender Telecaster
* Freehold Borough, New Jersey
* Asbury Park, New Jersey
* "Because the Night"
* "Jersey Girl"
* "Springsteen"
* Blinded by the Light (film)

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