High Hopes

---

Tim Scott McConnell, 1987. Springsteen's version is Track 1 of High Hopes, 2014.

---

Credits

• High Hopes (2014)
  • Bruce Springsteen: vocals, guitar, percussion, vibraphone
  • Ron Aniello: drum loops
  • Roy Bittan: piano
  • Everett Bradley: percussion, backing vocals
  • Clark Gayton: trombone
  • Charles Giordano: accordion
  • Stan Harrison: saxophone
  • Curtis King, Jr.: backing vocals
  • Nils Lofgren: guitar
  • Ed Manion: saxophone
  • Cindy Mizelle: backing vocals
  • Michelle Moore: backing vocals
  • Tom Morello: guitar
  • Curt Ramm: trumpet
  • Patti Scialfa: backing vocals
  • Garry Tallent: bass
  • Soozie Tyrell: backing vocals
  • Max Weinberg: drums

• Blood Brothers (EP, 1996)
  • Bruce Springsteen: vocals, guitar
  • Roy Bittan: piano, keyboard, synthesizer
  • Clarence Clemons: saxophone, percussion, backing vocals
  • Danny Federici: organ, glockenspiel, synthesizer
  • Nils Lofgren: guitar, backing vocals
  • Lisa Lowell: backing vocals
  • Frank Pagano: percussion
  • Patti Scialfa: backing vocals
  • Garry Tallent: bass
  • Soozie Tyrell: backing vocals
  • Steven Van Zandt: guitar, backing vocals
  • Max Weinberg: drums

Performances

Performed live 41 times (not including snippet performances). 2014-05-18 Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT 2014-05-17 Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT 2014-05-14 Hersheypark Stadium, Hershey, PA 2014-05-13 Times Union Center, Albany, NY 2014-05-06 Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Houston, TX 2014-05-03 New Orleans Fairgrounds, New Orleans, LA 2014-05-01 MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa, FL 2014-04-29 BB&T Center, Sunrise, FL 2014-04-26 Aaron's Amphitheatre At Lakewood, Atlanta, GA 2014-04-24 PNC Arena, Raleigh, NC 2014-04-22 Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, PA 2014-04-19 Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC 2014-04-17 Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN 2014-04-15 Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH 2014-04-12 Farm Bureau Live At Virginia Beach, Virginia Beach, VA 2014-04-08 U.S. Bank Arena, Cincinnati, OH 2014-04-06 Reunion Arena, Old Site, Dallas, TX 2014-03-02 Mt. Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand 2014-03-01 Mt. Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand 2014-02-26 Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia 2014-02-23 Hope Estate, Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia 2014-02-22 Hope Estate, Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia 2014-02-19 AllPhones Arena, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 2014-02-16 AAMI Park, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 2014-02-15 AAMI Park, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 2014-02-12 Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia 2014-02-11 Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia 2014-02-08 Perth Arena, Perth, Western Australia, Australia 2014-02-07 Perth Arena, Perth, Western Australia, Australia 2014-02-05 Perth Arena, Perth, Western Australia, Australia 2014-02-01 FNB Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa 2014-01-29 Bellville Velodrome, Cape Town, South Africa 2014-01-28 Bellville Velodrome, Cape Town, South Africa 2014-01-26 Bellville Velodrome, Cape Town, South Africa 2014-01-14 Rockefeller Center, GE Building, Studio 6A, New York City, NY 2013-03-30 Hanging Rock, Mt. Macedon, Victoria, Australia 2013-03-27 Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 2013-03-24 Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 2013-03-20 Allphones Arena, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 2013-03-18 Allphones Arena, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 2013-03-16 Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Performances broken down by tour (not including rehearsals and snippet performances) Performed at 0 show(s) of 118 on the 2023-24 International Tour. Performed at 0 show(s) of 266 on the Springsteen On Broadway run. Performed at 0 show(s) of 14 on the Summer '17 Tour. Performed at 0 show(s) of 75 on the The River Tour 2016. Performed at 33 show(s) of 33 on the High Hopes Tour. Performed at 6 show(s) of 133 on the Wrecking Ball Tour. Performed at 2 known other show(s), plus 0 public tour rehearsal(s).

Released on Album

Released on Blood Brothers (EP, 1996) and High Hopes (2014).

Released as Live Download

Live versions are available on the following 31 official live downloads:

• 2014-05-18 Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT
• 2014-05-17 Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT
• 2014-05-14 Hersheypark Stadium, Hershey, PA
• 2014-05-13 Times Union Center, Albany, NY
• 2014-05-06 Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Houston, TX
• 2014-05-01 MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa, FL
• 2014-04-29 BB&T Center, Sunrise, FL
• 2014-04-26 Aaron's Amphitheatre At Lakewood, Atlanta, GA
• 2014-04-24 PNC Arena, Raleigh, NC
• 2014-04-22 Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, PA
• 2014-04-19 Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC
• 2014-04-17 Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN
• 2014-04-15 Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH
• 2014-04-12 Farm Bureau Live At Virginia Beach, Virginia Beach, VA
• 2014-04-08 U.S. Bank Arena, Cincinnati, OH
• 2014-03-02 Mt. Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand
• 2014-03-01 Mt. Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand
• 2014-02-26 Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
• 2014-02-23 Hope Estate, Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia
• 2014-02-22 Hope Estate, Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia
• 2014-02-19 AllPhones Arena, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
• 2014-02-15 AAMI Park, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
• 2014-02-12 Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
• 2014-02-11 Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
• 2014-02-08 Perth Arena, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
• 2014-02-07 Perth Arena, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
• 2014-02-05 Perth Arena, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
• 2014-02-01 FNB Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa
• 2014-01-29 Bellville Velodrome, Cape Town, South Africa
• 2014-01-28 Bellville Velodrome, Cape Town, South Africa
• 2014-01-26 Bellville Velodrome, Cape Town, South Africa

On The Tracks

HIGH HOPES - V1	3:31	YBNT2
HIGH HOPES - V2	4:20	BB: EP
HIGH HOPES - V3	2:46	private
HIGH HOPES - V4		uncirculating
HIGH HOPES - V5		uncirculating
HIGH HOPES - V6	4:57	HOPES

Note: Song written in 1987 by Tim McConnell (aka Tim Scott). Recorded by Springsteen in January, 1995 at The Hit Factory, New York City. V1 is a brief snippet of a different recorded take, as heard in the video. V2 is the complete take officially issued on the Blood Brothers EP. V3 is an alternative, rather funky arrangement with low, almost whispered lyrics and is reminiscent of War's "Spill The Wine". The take is aborted early, with Bruce requesting a cup of tea.

Thanks to a text by Tom Morello, who was filling in for actor Steve Van Zandt on the ten-day 2013 Australian tour, Springsteen decided to open the March 16 Brisbane show with "High Hopes", the first time he has ever played it live! He also phoned Nick Didia, former Southern Tracks studio engineer, now living Down-Under at Byron Bay, 750 km from Sydney. Nick made arrangements for time at Studios 301 in Sydney the next day, as well as an evening slot for Morello at their Byron Bay branch office (running late from Brisbane). On March 17, 2013, a travel day to Sydney, the E Street Band arrived at the studio in the afternoon, recording two takes of "High Hopes" V4 and V5, and completing "Just Like Fire Would", in an unknown number of takes. The word is Morello recorded his parts at Byron Bay late into the night, but he was on time and ready next day for the opener in Sydney, with "High Hopes" still in the lineup. V6 is the final album track that opens High Hopes, featuring numerous overdubs, courtesy of co-producer Ron Aniello, recorded later that year in New York and Los Angeles. On November 19, 2013, a CD-R single, digital download and video were all released, well ahead of the January 2014 album date.

---

^{Studio Sessions: Greatest Hits}

Lyrics

High Hopes

One, two!
Whoa!

Monday mornin' runs to Sunday night
A scream slow me down before the new year dies
Won't take much to kill a lovin' smile
And every mother with a baby cryin' in her arms, singin'
Give me help, give me strength
Give a soul a night of fearless sleep
Give me love, give me peace
Don't you know these days you pay for everything
Got high hopes
I got high hopes
I got high hopes
I got high hopes

Yeah comin' from the city, comin' from the wild
I see a breathless army breakin' like a cloud
They're gonna smother love, they're gonna shoot your hopes
Before the meek inherit they'll learn to hate themselves
Give me help, give me strength
Give a soul a night of fearless sleep
Give me love, give me peace
Don't you know these days you pay for everything
Got high hopes
I got high hopes
I got high hopes
Yeah, I got high hopes
Roy!
Got high hopes
Yeah, I got high hopes
I got high hopes
I got high hopes

Yeah so tell me someone now, what's the price
I wanna buy some time and maybe live my life
I wanna have a wife, I wanna have some kids
I wanna look in their eyes and know they'll stand a chance

Give me help, give me strength
Give a soul a night of fearless sleep
Give me love, give me peace
Don't you know these days you pay for everything
High hopes
Got high hopes
I got high hopes
Yeah, I got high hopes
Break!
High hopes
I got high hopes
Yeah, I got high hopes
I got high hopes
Yiiii, (I got) high hopes
Yeah, high hopes
Whoa, high hopes
High hopes
Yeah, well, I got high hopes
Yiiii, got high hopes
Yeah, high hopes
Yeah, (I got) high hopes
Yeah, high hopes
Yeah, I got high hopes
High hopes

Visit SpringsteenLyrics.com for other versions of this song.

Links

• MusicBrainz

---

Disclaimer | © 1996 - 2024 | Brucebase