One Step Up

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Track 10 of Tunnel Of Love, 1987.

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Credits

• Tunnel Of Love (1987)
  • Bruce Springsteen: vocals, guitar, mandolin, bass, keyboards, harmonica, percussion, drum machines
  • Patti Scialfa: backing vocals

Performances

Performed live 59 times (not including snippet performances). 2014-05-06 Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Houston, TX 2005-11-21 Sovereign Bank Arena, Trenton, NJ 2005-11-19 Hard Rock Live, Hollywood, FL 2005-11-16 Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ 2005-11-09 Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 2005-11-04 St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa, FL 2005-10-12 Northrop Auditorium, Minneapolis, MN 2005-10-04 Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ 2005-08-10 Theater Of The Clouds, Portland, OR 2005-08-03 Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, MI 2005-07-31 Value City Theatre, Schottenstein Center, Columbus, OH 2005-07-28 Petersen Events Center, Pittsburgh, PA 1988-06-21 Villa Park, Birmingham, England 1988-06-19 Hippodrome De Vincennes, Paris, France 1988-06-15 Stadio Flaminio, Rome, Italy 1988-06-11 Stadio Comunale, Turin, Italy 1988-05-23 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY 1988-05-22 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY 1988-05-19 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY 1988-05-18 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY 1988-05-16 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY 1988-05-13 Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, IN 1988-05-10 Met Center, Bloomington, MN 1988-05-09 Met Center, Bloomington, MN 1988-05-06 Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, WA 1988-05-05 Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, WA 1988-05-03 Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA 1988-05-02 Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA 1988-04-28 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA 1988-04-27 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA 1988-04-25 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA 1988-04-23 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA 1988-04-22 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA 1988-04-20 McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, CO 1988-04-17 St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, MO 1988-04-15 Frank Erwin Center, University Of Texas, Austin, TX 1988-04-13 Summit (The), Houston, TX 1988-04-12 Summit (The), Houston, TX 1988-04-05 Capital Centre, Largo, MD 1988-04-04 Capital Centre, Largo, MD 1988-04-02 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY 1988-04-01 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY 1988-03-29 Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI 1988-03-28 Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI 1988-03-26 Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY 1988-03-23 Omni (The), Atlanta, GA 1988-03-22 Omni (The), Atlanta, GA 1988-03-20 Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, PA 1988-03-17 Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL 1988-03-16 Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL 1988-03-14 Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH 1988-03-13 Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH 1988-03-09 Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 1988-03-08 Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 1988-03-04 Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center, Chapel Hill, NC 1988-03-03 Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center, Chapel Hill, NC 1988-02-29 Centrum In Worcester, Worcester, MA 1988-02-28 Centrum In Worcester, Worcester, MA 1988-02-25 Centrum In Worcester, Worcester, MA

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 1 show(s) of 33 on the High Hopes Tour. Performed at 0 show(s) of 133 on the Wrecking Ball Tour. Performed at 0 show(s) of 83 on the Working On A Dream Tour. Performed at 0 show(s) of 99 on the Magic Tour. Performed at 0 show(s) of 56 on The Seeger Sessions Tour. Performed at 11 show(s) of 72 on the Devils & Dust Tour. Performed at 0 show(s) of 7 on the Vote For Change Tour. Performed at 0 show(s) of 120 on The Rising Tour. Performed at 0 show(s) of 132 on The Reunion Tour. Performed at 0 show(s) of 128 on The Ghost Of Tom Joad Tour. Performed at 0 show(s) of 102 on the World Tour 1992-93. Performed at 0 show(s) of 20 on the Human Rights Now! Tour. Performed at 47 show(s) of 67 on the Tunnel Of Love Express Tour. Performed at 0 known other show(s), plus 0 public tour rehearsal(s).

Released on Album

Released on Tunnel Of Love (1987), One Step Up (Single, 1988), and The Essential (2015).

Released as Live Download

Live versions are available on the following 8 official live downloads:

• 2014-05-06 Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Houston, TX
• 2005-08-03 Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, MI
• 2005-07-31 Value City Theatre, Schottenstein Center, Columbus, OH
• 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

On The Tracks

ONE STEP UP - V1		uncirculating
ONE STEP UP - V2	4:16	TUNNEL / ESSENTIAL: 2015 / 1988 single

Note: Recorded late May to early June 1987 at A&M Studios, Los Angeles, with Bruce on most of the instruments, and Patti Scialfa adding backup vocals. Music video filmed on February 15, 1988, at The Wonder Bar, Asbury Park, New Jersey, directed by Meiert Avis. Single released February 27.

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^{Studio Sessions: Tunnel Of Love}

Lyrics

One Step Up

Woke up this morning, the house was cold
Checked out the furnace, she wasn't burning
Went out and hopped in my old Ford
Hit the engine but she ain't turning
We've given each other some hard lessons lately
We ain't learning
We're the same sad story, that's a fact
One step up and two steps back

Bird on a wire outside my motel room
But he ain't singing
Girl in white outside a church in June
But the church bells ain't ringing
I'm sitting here in this bar tonight
But all I'm thinking
Is I'm the same old story, same old act
One step up and two steps back

It's the same thing night on night
Who's wrong baby who's right
Another fight and I slam the door
On another battle in our dirty little war
When I look at myself I don't see
The man I wanted to be
Somewhere 'long the line I slipped off track
I'm caught moving one step up and two steps back

There's a girl across the bar
I get the message she's sending
Hmm she ain't looking too married
Me well honey I'm pretending
Last night I dreamed I held you in my arms
The music was never ending
We danced as the evening sky faded to black
One step up and two steps back
(One step up and two steps back)
One step up and two steps back
(One step up and two steps back)
One step up and two steps back

Visit SpringsteenLyrics.com for other versions of this song.

Links

• MusicBrainz

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