Born In The U.S.A.

Home » Statistical Information » Songs » Songs =- B -= » Born In The U.S.A.

Track 1 of Born In The U.S.A., 1984.

Born In The U.S.A. (1984)
- Bruce Springsteen: vocals, guitar
- Roy Bittan: synthesizer, backing vocals
- Clarence Clemons: percussion, backing vocals
- Danny Federici: piano, glockenspiel
- Garry Tallent: bass, backing vocals
- Steven Van Zandt: guitar, mandolin, backing vocals
- Max Weinberg: drums, backing vocals

Tracks (1998)
- Bruce Springsteen: vocals, acoustic guitar

Arthur Baker Remixes (1984)
- Bruce Springsteen: vocals, guitar
- Roy Bittan: synthesizer, backing vocals
- Albert Cabrera: tom toms, dulcimer, glockenspiel, backing vocals, bass synthesizer, horn synthesizer, gunshots
- Clarence Clemons: percussion, backing vocals
- Danny Federici: piano, glockenspiel
- Tony Moran: tom toms, dulcimer, glockenspiel, backing vocals, bass synthesizer, horn synthesizer, gunshots
- Garry Tallent: bass, backing vocals
- Max Weinberg: drums, backing vocals
- Steve Van Zandt: guitar, mandolin, backing vocals

VIETNAM - V1	3:15	FFOD / HNWB / MT2
VIETNAM BLUES - V2	2:00	FFOD / HNWB / MT2
BORN IN THE U.S.A. BLUES - V3	2:22	FFOD / HNWB / MT2
BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V4	0:30	FFOD / HNWB
BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V5	4:45	FFOD / HNWB
BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V6	3:10	FFOD / HNWB
BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V7	2:55	FFOD / HNWB
BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V8	4:00	FFOD / HNWB
BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V9a take 1	3:06	LM-1 / HNWB
BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V9b take 1 mix 2	3:06	TRACKS
BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V10 take 2	8:09	THLBB / UH / GS / BUERM / MI
BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V11a take 4 mix 1	4:34	BITUSA / ESSENTIAL / GREATEST / CHAPTER
BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V11b take 4 mix 2	4:52	LM-19 / THLBP
BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V12		uncirculating
BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V13 take 9		uncirculating
BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V14a freedom mix	7:20	1984 EP
BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V14b radio mix	6:10	1984 EP
BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V14c dub mix	7:36	1984 EP

“I’m a long gone daddy I don’t need you anyhow. ”
—Hank Williams 1948

Note: Writing and recording began at Springsteen's home in Colts Neck, New Jersey during October 1981 as the demo, "Vietnam" or "Vietnam Blues". V3 is now titled "Born In the U.S.A. Blues", re-titled after Jon Landau sent Springsteen a Paul Schrader script called "Born In the U.S.A.". V4 is a taken from November 1981, with the lyrics "Born baby in the USA, I believe in the American way". V5 thru V8 were recorded in December, and V9 was recorded on the portastudio Mike Batlan had setup on January 3, 1982. Bruce included it on the "Nebraska demos" cassette tape he sent to Jon Landau. In his notes to Landau, Bruce described the song as a "little ditty. should be done very hard rockin". A copy leaked to bootleggers from Batlan, then V9b was mixed in 1997 and officially released on Tracks in 1998. V10 and V11 were recorded in just four takes (two complete), at The Power Station with the E Street Band, on April 27, 1982. V10 is the 8 minute+ extended jam ending, where Max Weinberg takes his shot at the title, as Bruce would say. V11a (take 4) became the first song on side one of the album, "Born In the USA". V11b continues where 11a fades out, with an extended synthesizer ending; it was leaked out of the sessions, and released unofficially on the bootleg, 'This Hard Land'. V12 represents takes 5-8 on April 28, 1982, and V13 is take 9 on May 3, 1982. V14a thru V14c are dance remixes of V11, undertaken by Arthur Baker, and recorded at Shakedown Studio in New York City in September 1984. Toby Scott was the recording engineer for the remixes (which include additional vocals by The Latin Rascals), which were first released in December 1984.

^{Studio Sessions: Born In The U.S.A.}

Born In The U.S.A.

Born down in a dead man's town
The first kick I took was when I hit the ground
You end up like a dog that's been beat too much
Till you spend half your life just covering up now

Born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A., now

Got in a little hometown jam
So they put a rifle in my hand
Sent me off to a foreign land
To go and kill the yellow man

Born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A., yeah
Born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A.

Come back home to the refinery
Hiring man says, "Son if it was up to me"
Went down to see my V.A. man
He said, "Son don't you understand now"

Oh yeah
Oh no
No no no

I had a brother at Khe Sahn fighting off them Viet Cong
They're still there, he's all gone
He had a woman he loved in Saigon
I got a picture of him in her arms now

Down in the shadow of the penitentiary
Out by the gas fires of the refinery
I'm ten years burning down the road
Nowhere to run, ain't got nowhere to go

Born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A., now
Born in the U.S.A.
I'm a long gone Daddy in the U.S.A., now
Born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.
I'm a cool rocking Daddy in the U.S.A., now

No no no
No no no no
No no no
No no no no

Whoa!
Oh no no
Whoa!
Yeahhh…
Whoa!

One, two, three, four!

^{Visit SpringsteenLyrics.com for other versions of this song.}

Born In The U.S.A. ^(Tracks)

Born down in a dead man's town
The first kick I took was when I hit the ground
You end up like a dog that's been beat too much
Till you spend half your life just covering up

Born in the U.S.A., born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A., born in the U.S.A.

I got in a little hometown jam
And so they put a rifle in my hands
Sent me off to Vietnam
To go and kill the yellow man

Born in the U.S.A., born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A., born in the U.S.A.

Come back home to the refineries
Hiring man says "Son if it was up to me"
I go down to see the V.A. man
He says "Son don't you understand"

Born in the U.S.A., born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A., born in the U.S.A.

I had a buddy at Khe Sahn
Fighting off the Viet Cong
They're still there, he's all gone
He had a little girl in Saigon
I got a picture of him in her arms

Hoo hoo hoo!
Hoo!

Down in the shadow of the penitentiary
Out by the gas fires of the refinery
I'm ten years down the road
Nowhere to run, ain't got nowhere to go
Hoo!

I'm a long gone daddy in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.
I'm a cool rocking daddy in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.
Hoo hoo hoo!
Hoo hoo

^{Visit SpringsteenLyrics.com for other versions of this song.}