The Top 100 Bruce Springsteen Songs: 30-21
The Ginny Weasley icon is kept on purpose for this section of the list, since in exactly 24 hours, I will be in line for seats for the final Harry Potter film. Plus, there's a Harry Potter reference in the analysis for one of these ten songs. Speaking of which, this is where things get fun. There are two lists left after this -- 20 songs -- and both, I swear on my life, will be ready to post before said Harry Potter premiere. After that, anything that doesn't make it into that twenty is fighting a vicious battle for #101.
30. Walk Like A Man Tunnel of Love (1987)
“Well, tonight you step away from me / And alone at the altar I stand / And as I watch my bride coming down the aisle I pray / For the strength to walk like a man.” There is no better song for a Bruce Springsteen fan to walk down the aisle to, and I should know. I speak from experience.
29. Darkness on the Edge of Town Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978)
“Some folks are born into a good life / Other folks get it anyway, anyhow / I lost my money and I lost my wife / Them things don’t seem to matter much to me now / Tonight I’ll be on that hill ‘cause I can’t stop / I’ll be on that hill with everything I got / Lives on the line where dreams are found and lost / I’ll be there on time and I’ll pay they cost / For wanting things that can only be found / In the darkness on the edge of town.”
28. New York City Serenade The Wild, The Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle (1973)
This song is ten minutes long, and is perfect from beginning to end. From singing about the fish lady, to the call and response of “She won’t take the train”, to the immensely creative storytelling, putting you in 1970s New York, in a way that you see frequently in movies, television, books… but not in song, even one two to three times the length of your typical number.
27. My Hometown Born in the U.S.A. (1984)
“In ’65, tension was running high at my school / There was a lot of fights between the black and white / There was nothing you could do / Two cars at a light on a Saturday night / In the back seat there was a gun / Words were passed in a shotgun blast / Troubled times had come to my hometown.”
26. War released live on Live/1975-85 (1986)
This song is, of course, not Bruce’s - the original was a #1 single, whereas his version only made it to #8 - but it fits so perfectly in his catalog. Besides which, while the song is amazing, this isn’t truly on the list for the song itself, but for the way he introduced it at those 1985 L.A. shows. “In 1985, blind faith in your leaders, or in anything, will get you killed.” In 1985, in 1965, or in 2011, and that is what makes him great.
25. Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town single (1985)
“It’s all cold down along the beach, the wind’s whipping down the boardwalk. Hey, band! You guys know what time it is? What time? What? … What? … Oh, Christmastime! You guys all been good and practicing real hard? Clarence, you been practicin’ real hard, so Santa’s gonna bring you a new saxophone? Everybody out there been good or what? Oh, that’s not many, not many, you guys are in trouble out there…” Hands down, the greatest version of a Christmas song ever.
24. She’s The One Born to Run (1975)
“With her killer graces and her secret places / That no boy can fill with her hands on her hips / Oh and that smile on her lips / Because she knows that it kills me / With her soft french cream / Standing in that doorway like a dream / I wish she’d just leave me alone / Because french cream won’t soften them boots / And french kisses will not break that heart of stone / With her long hair falling / And her eyes that shine like a midnight sun / Oh-o, she’s the one.”
23. I’ll Work For Your Love Magic (2007)
Feel free to kill me, eviscerate me, or simply make fun of me, but the opening line of this song - “Pour me a drink Theresa / In one of those glasses you dust off” - reminds me of Ron Weasley’s crush on Rosmerta the barmaid.
22. Lonesome Day The Rising (2002)
“Once I thought I knew / Everything I needed to know about you / Your sweet whisper, your tender touch / But I didn’t really know that much / Joke’s on me, it’s gonna be okay / If I can just get through this lonesome day.”
21. Born In The U.S.A. Born In The U.S.A. (1984)
When I first started thinking about this list, I was jokingly going to title it “Top 10 Bruce Springsteen Songs without the word Born in the name”. Needless to say, the first change was to add the extra 0 to the number. But the truth of the matter is, Bruce has so many underrated gems buried in his expansive catalog, so to automatically rank probably his second-most popular song at #2 would be a disservice to these 19 other gems. It’s still a fairly awesome song, though.
30. Walk Like A Man Tunnel of Love (1987)
“Well, tonight you step away from me / And alone at the altar I stand / And as I watch my bride coming down the aisle I pray / For the strength to walk like a man.” There is no better song for a Bruce Springsteen fan to walk down the aisle to, and I should know. I speak from experience.
29. Darkness on the Edge of Town Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978)
“Some folks are born into a good life / Other folks get it anyway, anyhow / I lost my money and I lost my wife / Them things don’t seem to matter much to me now / Tonight I’ll be on that hill ‘cause I can’t stop / I’ll be on that hill with everything I got / Lives on the line where dreams are found and lost / I’ll be there on time and I’ll pay they cost / For wanting things that can only be found / In the darkness on the edge of town.”
28. New York City Serenade The Wild, The Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle (1973)
This song is ten minutes long, and is perfect from beginning to end. From singing about the fish lady, to the call and response of “She won’t take the train”, to the immensely creative storytelling, putting you in 1970s New York, in a way that you see frequently in movies, television, books… but not in song, even one two to three times the length of your typical number.
27. My Hometown Born in the U.S.A. (1984)
“In ’65, tension was running high at my school / There was a lot of fights between the black and white / There was nothing you could do / Two cars at a light on a Saturday night / In the back seat there was a gun / Words were passed in a shotgun blast / Troubled times had come to my hometown.”
26. War released live on Live/1975-85 (1986)
This song is, of course, not Bruce’s - the original was a #1 single, whereas his version only made it to #8 - but it fits so perfectly in his catalog. Besides which, while the song is amazing, this isn’t truly on the list for the song itself, but for the way he introduced it at those 1985 L.A. shows. “In 1985, blind faith in your leaders, or in anything, will get you killed.” In 1985, in 1965, or in 2011, and that is what makes him great.
25. Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town single (1985)
“It’s all cold down along the beach, the wind’s whipping down the boardwalk. Hey, band! You guys know what time it is? What time? What? … What? … Oh, Christmastime! You guys all been good and practicing real hard? Clarence, you been practicin’ real hard, so Santa’s gonna bring you a new saxophone? Everybody out there been good or what? Oh, that’s not many, not many, you guys are in trouble out there…” Hands down, the greatest version of a Christmas song ever.
24. She’s The One Born to Run (1975)
“With her killer graces and her secret places / That no boy can fill with her hands on her hips / Oh and that smile on her lips / Because she knows that it kills me / With her soft french cream / Standing in that doorway like a dream / I wish she’d just leave me alone / Because french cream won’t soften them boots / And french kisses will not break that heart of stone / With her long hair falling / And her eyes that shine like a midnight sun / Oh-o, she’s the one.”
23. I’ll Work For Your Love Magic (2007)
Feel free to kill me, eviscerate me, or simply make fun of me, but the opening line of this song - “Pour me a drink Theresa / In one of those glasses you dust off” - reminds me of Ron Weasley’s crush on Rosmerta the barmaid.
22. Lonesome Day The Rising (2002)
“Once I thought I knew / Everything I needed to know about you / Your sweet whisper, your tender touch / But I didn’t really know that much / Joke’s on me, it’s gonna be okay / If I can just get through this lonesome day.”
21. Born In The U.S.A. Born In The U.S.A. (1984)
When I first started thinking about this list, I was jokingly going to title it “Top 10 Bruce Springsteen Songs without the word Born in the name”. Needless to say, the first change was to add the extra 0 to the number. But the truth of the matter is, Bruce has so many underrated gems buried in his expansive catalog, so to automatically rank probably his second-most popular song at #2 would be a disservice to these 19 other gems. It’s still a fairly awesome song, though.