Track 1 of Born In The U.S.A., 1984.
Directed by John Sayles. The live footage used was shot at three LA shows in 1984.
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- Born In The U.S.A. (Bruce Springsteen, 1984)
- Bruce Springsteen: vocals, guitar
- Roy Bittan: keyboards
- Clarence Clemons: maracas
- Danny Federici: piano, glockenspiel
- Garry Tallent: bass
- Steven Van Zandt: guitar
- Max Weinberg: drums
- Tracks (Bruce Springsteen, 1998)
- Bruce Springsteen: vocals, acoustic guitar
- Arthur Baker Remixes (Bruce Springsteen, 1984)
- Bruce Springsteen: vocals, guitar
- Roy Bittan: keyboards
- Clarence Clemons: maracas
- Danny Federici: piano, glockenspiel
- The Latin Rascals: tom toms, dulcimer, glockenspiel, backing vocals, bass synthesizer, horn synthesizer, gunshots
- Garry Tallent: bass
- Max Weinberg: drums
- Steve Van Zandt: guitar
Performed multiple times during the following shows:
Released on Born In The U.S.A. (1984), Born In The U.S.A. (Single, 1984), Greatest Hits (1995), Tracks (1998), 18 Tracks (1999), The Essential (2003), Greatest Hits (2009), Collection:1973–2012 (2013), Chapter And Verse (2016), and Best Of (2024).
Live versions are released on Live/1975–85 (1986) (recorded September 30, 1985), Columbia Records Radio Hour (US-only Promotional Tape, 1995) (recorded December 8, 1995 (song) and December 9, 1995 (spoken intro)), Missing (EP, 1996) (recorded April 19, 1996), Live In New York City (2001) (recorded July 1, 2000), The Bridge School Collection (2011) (recorded October 13, 1986), ¡Released! The Human Rights Concerts: Human Rights Now/Get Up! Stand Up! Highlights (Compilations, 2013) (recorded October 15, 1988), ¡Released! The Human Rights Concerts: The Struggle Continues (Compilation, 2013) (recorded December 10, 1998), and Springsteen On Broadway (2018) (recorded July 17/18, 2018).
Live versions are available on the following 111 official live downloads:
- 2025-06-04 Anfield, Liverpool, England
- 2025-05-24 Decathlon Arena - Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France
- 2025-05-20 Co-op Live, Manchester, England
- 2025-05-17 Co-op Live, Manchester, England
- 2025-05-14 Co-op Live, Manchester, England
- 2024-07-27 Wembley Stadium, London, England
- 2024-07-21 Dokken, Bergen, Norway
- 2024-07-18 Strawberry Arena, Solna, Sweden
- 2024-07-12 Olympiastadion, Helsinki, Finland
- 2024-07-09 Odense Dyrskuepladsen, Odense, Denmark
- 2024-07-05 Heinz-von-Heiden-Arena, Hannover, Germany
- 2024-07-02 Werchter Park, Werchter, Belgium
- 2024-06-29 Goffertpark, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- 2024-06-27 Goffertpark, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- 2024-06-22 Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, Barcelona, Spain
- 2024-06-20 Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, Barcelona, Spain
- 2024-06-17 Cívitas Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain
- 2024-06-14 Cívitas Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain
- 2024-05-05 Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Wales
- 2023-07-06 Hyde Park, London, England
- 2023-07-02 Voldsløkka Stadion, Oslo, Norway
- 2023-06-30 Voldsløkka Stadion, Oslo, Norway
- 2023-06-28 Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
- 2023-06-26 Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
- 2023-06-24 Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
- 2023-06-21 Merkur Spielarena, Düsseldorf, Germany
- 2023-06-18 Festivalpark, Werchter, Belgium
- 2023-06-16 Villa Park, Birmingham, England
- 2023-06-13 Letzigrund, Zurich, Switzerland
- 2023-06-11 Megaland, Landgraaf, The Netherlands
- 2023-05-30 BT Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, Scotland
- 2023-05-27 Johan Cruijff ArenA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- 2023-05-25 Johan Cruijff ArenA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- 2023-05-21 Circus Maximus, Rome, Italy
- 2023-05-18 Parco Urbano Giorgio Bassani, Ferrara, Italy
- 2023-05-15 Paris La Défense Arena, Nanterre, France
- 2023-05-13 Paris La Défense Arena, Nanterre, France
- 2023-05-07 RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland
- 2023-05-05 RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland
- 2023-04-30 Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, Barcelona, Spain
- 2023-04-28 Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, Barcelona, Spain
- 2023-04-11 UBS Arena, Belmont Park, Elmont, NY
- 2016-07-31 Letzigrund, Zurich, Switzerland
- 2016-07-28 Frognerparken, Oslo, Norway
- 2016-07-26 Granåsen Arena, Trondheim, Norway
- 2016-07-23 Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
- 2016-07-20 CASA Arena, Horsens, Denmark
- 2016-07-16 Circus Maximus, Rome, Italy
- 2016-07-13 AccorHotels Arena, Paris, France
- 2016-07-09 Festivalpark, Werchter, Belgium
- 2016-07-03 Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy
- 2016-06-29 Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway
- 2016-06-27 Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
- 2016-06-25 Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
- 2016-06-22 Telia Parken, Copenhagen, Denmark
- 2016-06-19 Olympiastadion, Berlin, Germany
- 2016-06-17 Olympiastadion, Munich, Germany
- 2016-06-03 Ricoh Arena, Coventry, England
- 2016-06-01 Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland
- 2016-05-29 Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland
- 2016-05-21 Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain
- 2016-05-19 Bela Vista Park, Lisbon, Portugal
- 2016-05-17 Estadio Anoeta, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- 2016-05-14 Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain
- 2016-04-18 Bryce Jordan Center, Penn State University, University Park, PA
- 2016-04-14 Palace Of Auburn Hills (The), Auburn Hills, MI
- 2016-04-12 Schottenstein Center, Columbus, OH
- 2016-02-21 KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, KY
- 2014-05-13 Times Union Center, Albany, NY
- 2014-04-22 Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, PA
- 2014-04-19 Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC
- 2014-04-17 Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN
- 2014-03-01 Mt. Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand
- 2014-02-23 Hope Estate, Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia
- 2014-02-15 AAMI Park, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- 2014-02-08 Perth Arena, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- 2014-02-01 FNB Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa
- 2014-01-28 Bellville Velodrome, Cape Town, South Africa
- 2014-01-26 Bellville Velodrome, Cape Town, South Africa
- 2013-07-11 Ippodromo Delle Capannelle, Rome, Italy
- 2012-07-31 Olympiastadion, Helsinki, Finland
- 2012-07-28 Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
- 2012-07-04 Palais Omnisports De Paris-Bercy, Paris, France
- 2009-10-20 Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
- 2005-11-22 Sovereign Bank Arena, Trenton, NJ
- 2003-06-16 Olympiastadion, Helsinki, Finland
- 2000-07-01 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1997-05-18 Palais Des Congrès Acropolis, Nice, France
- 1996-11-26 Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ
- 1996-11-24 Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ
- 1996-11-08 St. Rose Of Lima School, Gymnasium, Freehold, NJ
- 1996-09-25 E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall, Akron, OH
- 1996-03-19 King's Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland
- 1995-12-09 Tower Theater, Upper Darby, Philadelphia, PA
- 1993-06-24 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
- 1993-05-14 Waldbühne, Berlin, Germany
- 1992-12-13 Boston Garden, Boston, MA
- 1992-07-25 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
- 1988-07-03 Stockholms Stadion, Stockholm, Sweden
- 1988-05-23 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1988-05-16 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1988-04-28 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1988-04-23 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1988-03-28 Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI
- 1986-10-13 Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA
- 1985-09-27 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
- 1985-08-22 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
- 1984-08-20 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
- 1984-08-19 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
- 1984-08-06 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
- 1984-08-05 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
One of these recordings is also available on the playlists The Live Series: Songs From Around The World (2019), The Born In The U.S.A. Tour '84-'85 (2024), The Live Series: Songs Of Conscience (2024), and Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band (2024).
| BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V1 | 2:22 | FFOD / HNWB / MT2 |
| BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V2 | 0:30 | FFOD / HNWB |
| BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V3 | 4:45 | FFOD / HNWB |
| BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V4 | 3:10 | FFOD / HNWB |
| BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V5 | 2:55 | FFOD / HNWB |
| BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V6 | 4:00 | FFOD / HNWB |
| BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V7a (take 1) | 3:06 | LM-1 / HNWB |
| BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V7b (take 1 mix 2) | 3:06 | TRACKS |
| BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V8 (take 2) | private | |
| BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V9 (take 3) | private | |
| BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V10 (take 4) | private | |
| BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V11 (takes 5-8) | uncirculating | |
| BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V12a (take 9) | 8:09 | THLBB / UH / GS / BUERM / MI |
| BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V12b (take 9 edit 1) | 4:34 | BITUSA / GREATEST / ESSENTIAL / GREATEST: 2009 / CHAPTER / BESTOF |
| BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V12c (take 9 edit 2) | 4:52 | LM-19 / THLBP |
| BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V13 (take 10) | 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 |
Note: Writing and recording began at Springsteen's house in Colts Neck, NJ during the fall of 1981 with a set of acoustic demos. V1 evolved, both musically and lyrically, from the bluesy demo "Vietnam". V1 includes the chorus "born in the USA" that Springsteen lifted from the title of a script of a Paul Schrader movie given to him by Jon Landau, as well as many lyrical elements that would remain in the final released version. The demo begins its transition with V2, a brief snippet of the "Born In The U.S.A." riff, the opening verse, and then the sardonic chorus "Born baby in the USA / I believe in the American way". V3-V6 were all recorded soon after, and see Springsteen developing the lyrics with every take. V7 was recorded between December 17, 1981 and January 3, 1982 on the TEAC Portastudio that Mike Batlan had set up in Bruce's home, and was included on the demo cassette tape 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 via Batlan and was pressed on 'Lost Masters I' in 1996, before V7b was mixed in 1998 and officially released on Tracks.
When Bruce and the E Street Band entered Power Station on April 26, 1982, the aim was to re-record the songs on his demo tape in a professional studio environment. Logs indicate that work on "Born In The U.S.A." began on the second day, and continued on April 28 and May 3. What work was done on what day is unclear, but it appears that the bulk of the song was recorded across ten takes on a single night, most likely May 3. A Power Station mixsheet dated to May 3 exists, which supports this position. We know that Springsteen initially attempted to re-record his demo tape alone, which may have occurred on April 27 and 28.
On May 3, Springsteen and the band cut a number of takes of a rocking electric reimagining of that original acoustic demo. In take 2 Bruce sung the first verse over his electric guitar, before bass and drum joined in. Take 3 sees Max accompanying Bruce right from the opening, yet the famous organ riff is nowhere to be found. Take 4 begins with Springsteen singing the first verse a cappella, before the band join in. We now skip ahead to take 9, where the riff is now in place alongside other new elements, some of which did not make the final track. Brief audio of the opening verse of takes 2, 3, 4, and the multitracks of take 9 first emerged in April 2022, played by Toby Scott at a public event in Mexico City. Recollections vary as to the origin of the riff; Roy Bittan remembers Springsteen demonstrating the song on acoustic guitar before he improvised the organ riff on a new Yamaha CS-80 synth, and the first take evolved from there. Max Weinberg, however, recalls the first recording was as "a country trio" with a country beat (Max may have been referring to the arrangement found in takes 2-4 above), and the main riff came from Springsteen's guitar. Weinberg doesn't dispute Bittan's memories though.
The eight minute V12a is the full length of take 9. With some edits, including using all or parts of take 10 (V13) for the ending, this take eventually became the first song on side one of Born In The U.S.A (V12b). V12c continues where V12b fades out with an extended synthesizer ending. Toby Scott recalls a total of eight to ten takes, with take six (or nine, recollections seem to vary) as the master. V14a-V14c are 12" dance remixes by Arthur Baker that were recorded at Shakedown Studios in New York City in September 1984. Toby Scott was the recording engineer for the remixes (which include additional vocals by The Latin Rascals), and all were mixed by Bob Clearmountain. The remixes were first released in December 1984. Baker utilized several aspects of the original mixes that were removed for the final album take.
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. |
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