Jungleland

Bruce Springsteen

About Jungleland

"Jungleland" is the closing song on Bruce Springsteen's 1975 album Born to Run. It contains one of E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons' most recognizable solos. It also features short-time E Streeter Suki Lahav, who performs the delicate 23-note violin introduction to the song, accompanied by Roy Bittan on piano in the opening.


Year:
2003
9:36
78 
#1

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The Rangers had a homecoming
In Harlem late last night
And the Magic Rat drove his sleek machine
Over the Jersey state line
Barefoot girl sitting on the hood of a Dodge
Drinking warm beer in the soft summer rain
The Rat pulls into town, rolls up his pants
Together they take a stab at romance
And disappear down Flamingo Lane

Well, the Maximum Lawmen run down Flamingo
Chasing the Rat and the barefoot girl
And the kids 'round there live just like shadows
Always quiet, holding hands
From the churches to the jails
Tonight all is silence in the world
As we take our stand
Down in Jungleland

The midnight gang's assembled
And picked a rendezvous for the night
They'll meet 'neath that giant Exxon sign
That brings this fair city light
Man, there's an opera out on the Turnpike
There's a ballet being fought out in the alley
Until the local cops, Cherry-Tops, rips this holy night
The street's alive as secret debts are paid
Contacts made, they flash unseen
Kids flash guitars just like switchblades
Hustling for the record machine
The hungry and the hunted
Explode into rock 'n' roll bands
That face off against each other out in the street
Down in Jungleland

In the parking lot the visionaries dress in the latest rage
Inside the backstreet girls are dancing
To the records that the DJ plays
Lonely-hearted lovers struggle in dark corners
Desperate as the night moves on
Just one look and a whisper, and they're gone

Beneath the city, two hearts beat
Soul engines running through a night so tender
In a bedroom locked in whispers
Of soft refusal and then surrender
In the tunnels uptown, the Rat's own dream guns him down
As shots echo down them hallways in the night
No one watches when the ambulance pulls away
Or as the girl shuts out the bedroom light

Outside the street's on fire in a real death waltz
Between what's flesh and what's fantasy
And the poets down here don't write nothing at all
They just stand back and let it all be
And in the quick of a knife, they reach for their moment
And try to make an honest stand
But they wind up wounded, not even dead
Tonight in Jungleland

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Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949), nicknamed "The Boss", is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who records and tours with the E Street Band. Springsteen is widely known for his brand of heartland rock, poetic lyrics, Americana sentiments centered on his native New Jersey and his lengthy and energetic stage performances, with concerts from the 1970s to the present decade running up to an uninterrupted 250 minutes in length. more »

22 fans

Written by: Bruce Springsteen

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Album Origination
"Jungleland" is the final song on Bruce Springsteen's third studio album, Born to Run, which was released in 1975.
Song Duration
The song spans a duration of about 9 minutes and 33 seconds, making it the longest track on the Born to Run album.
Lyrical Theme
"Jungleland" forms a part of Springsteen's trilogy of songs about ruffians, with the other two being "Backstreets" and "Born to Run". It explores themes of love, loss, and rebellion.
Musical Composition
"Jungleland" features a tenor saxophone solo by the E-Street band member, Clarence Clemons, which is regarded as one of the highlights of the song.
Prolonged Creation
Springsteen worked on the song for six months, because he wanted it to be perfect. In fact, "Jungleland" was one of the last songs to be completed for the album.
Notable Performances
"Jungleland", as one of Springsteen's signature songs, was performed regularly during his concerts until the death of Clarence Clemons in 2011. After the hiatus, the song was performed again in 2014.
Iconic Violin Intro
The song features a well-known violin introduction by Suki Lahav, who was a member of the E-Street Band during 1974-1975.
Lyric Revision
There were multiple versions of the song's lyrics before the final version was adopted. Springsteen performed a version known as "War And Roses" in 1974, which had quite different lyrics.
Chart Performance
Despite being a fan favorite, "Jungleland" did not chart, probably due to its long duration, which made it unfriendly for radio play.
Artistic Impact
The song has, over time, become a classic of Springsteen's and is both a favorite among fans and a mainstay in concert, garnering acclaim for its musical craftsmanship and evocative storytelling.

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