Album:
The song is on The River which entered the Australian albums chart* on 20 October 1980 and peaked at #8.
Songwriter:
Bruce Springsteen
Producers:
Jon Landau, Bruce Springsteen, Steven Van Zandt
Record label of Australian release:
CBS
*Kent Music Report / Australian Chart Book. See About.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at Arizona State University on 5 November 1980 during their The River Tour:
Songfacts:
This song is based on conversations Springsteen had with his brother-in-law. After losing his construction job, he worked hard to support his wife and young child, but never complained.
Always a champion of the working class, Springsteen has often spoken out against income inequality, which became a big political issue in the late ’00s. Back in the ’80s though, Springsteen was talking about it, and he often did so through the context of this song.
Read more: www.songfacts.com/facts/bruce-springsteen/the-river
Lyrics:
I come from down in the valley
Where, mister, when you’re young
They bring you up to do like your daddy done
Me and Mary we met in high school
When she was just seventeen
Click for full lyrics
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