THIS HARD LAND

Official 1982 studio version



Well hey there mister, can you tell me what happened to the seeds I've sown
Can you give me a reason, sir, as to why they never grown
They just blown around from town to town back out on to these fields
Where they fall from, from my hand back into the dirt of this hard land
Come on!

Well me and my sister, from Germantown yeah we did ride
And we made our beds, sir, from the rock on the mountain side
We've been blowing around from town to town looking for a place to land
Where the sun could break through the clouds and fall like a circle, like a circle of fire down on this hard land

Well now even the rain it don't come around, don't come around here no more
And the only sound at night's the wind slamming that back porch door
Yeah it stirs you up like it wants to just blow you down, twisting and churning up the sand
Leaving all them scarecrows lying face down into the dirt of this hard land

Well from a building up on the hill I hear a tape deck blasting "Home On The Range"
And I can hear them bar rim choppers sweeping low across the plains
It's me and you Frank, we're looking for lost cattle, our hooves twisting and churning up the sand
Yeah we're riding in the whirlwind, searching for a treasure way down south of the Rio Grande
We're riding cross that river in the moonlight way up onto the banks of this hard land

Well hey Frank, won't you pack your bags and meet me tonight down at Liberty Hall
I just want a kiss from you my brother and we'll ride until we fall
We'll sleep out in the fields, we'll sleep by the rivers, and in the morning we'll make a plan
Well if you can't make it, stay hard, stay hungry, stay alive if you can and meet me in a dream of this hard land
Whoa!

Whoa!

Whoa! Whoa!

Whoa!


Info

THIS HARD LAND is a song written by Bruce Springsteen. It was originally recorded during the Born In The U.S.A. sessions and was later included on the Tracks box set in 1998. The song was re-recorded in 1995 and included on the Greatest Hits (1995 edition) compilation album (see the official 1995 studio version).

The above lyrics are for Bruce Springsteen's official 1982 studio version of THIS HARD LAND that was released on Tracks.


Writing and Recording

"Home On The Range", mentioned in the fourth verse, is the state song of the American state of Kansas.

Bruce Springsteen wrote in his 1998 book Songs: "'This Hard Land' traces the search for 'home' against the restlessness and isolation that is at the heart of the American character. It's about friendship and survival and ends the album with a shot of idealism."

According to Sony's logs of Bruce Springsteen's studio sessions, THIS HARD LAND was recorded on 11, 13, and 14 May 1982 at The Power Station in New York City, NY. The song was planned for release in 1982 had a band album seen the light that year. See the "Unreleased 1982 and 1983 Albums" section below for more details.

The above lyrics are for the official 1982 studio version of THIS HARD LAND that was released on the Tracks box set. According to the box set's liner notes, the song was recorded on 11 May 1982 at The Hit Factory in New York City, NY. This conflicts with Sony's records and is probably a typo. The correct date and location would be 11 May 1982 at The Power Station, New York City, NY.

In his 2012 book E Street Shuffle: The Glory Days of Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Clinton Heylin wrote that COMMON GROUND (STAY HUNGRY) was ultimately replaced by THIS HARD LAND. "The 'stay hungry' motif, 'Stay hard, stay hungry, stay alive if you can', would re-emerge there," he wrote. Interestingly, according Sony's logs of Bruce Springsteen's studio sessions, both songs were recorded on the same day, on 11 May 1982 at The Power Station.

Some of the lyrics to THIS HARD LAND appeared in an early home demo version of OPEN ALL NIGHT.

According to Sony's logs of Bruce Springsteen's studio sessions, THIS HARD LAND was also recorded on 03 and 15 Feb 1983 at Thrill Hill West, Springsteen's home studio in Los Angeles, CA. Springsteen recorded more than an album's worth of songs by himself between mid-January and mid-February 1983 at Thrill Hill West. He played all the instruments himself, with the help of a drum machine only, and overdubbing to create the final product. No recording of THIS HARD LAND from these sessions is in circulation among collectors. Again, the song was planned for release in 1983 had a band album seen the light that year. See the "Unreleased 1982 and 1983 Albums" section below for more details.

The song was recorded again during the Greatest Hits sessions with the E Street Band in January 1995 at The Hit Factory in New York City, NY. Two different complete studio takes of THIS HARD LAND from these 1995 sessions are circulating among collectors. The official 1995 studio version was released on the Greatest Hits compilation album in 1995 and an unofficial 1995 studio version is circulating on bootlegs. The two are very similar but the latter is more guitar driven. According to Brucebase, an additional full take of THIS HARD LAND from the 1995 sessions is in very limited circulation; it's "take #3" and features mandolin and accordion and an extended coda.

Unreleased 1982 and 1983 Albums

Bruce Springsteen recorded a bulk of solo demoes at his Colts Neck, NJ home studio in early January 1982. His intention was to demonstrate them to The E Street Band when they enter the studio later that month so that the recording sessions for their next album would progress faster. These studio sessions came to a halt in May when Springsteen decided to release Nebraska, an album consisting of the original solo demoes without the band treatment.

For the next month or two the focus turned to overseeing final preparations of Nebraska. However, Springsteen had already made up his mind that a few of the January home demoes should be on an E Street Band album, in addition to some more songs he recorded with the band when they were in studio. Mixing of the band material continued through June, alongside the Nebraska tracks. In fact, Springsteen even considered putting both albums out as a double record. "I had these two extremely different recording experiences going," Springsteen told Mark Hagen in an interview for Mojo magazine published in January 1999. "I was going to put them out at the same time as a double record. I didn't know what to do."

In his 2012 book E Street Shuffle: The Glory Days of Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Clinton Heylin revealed that the track sequence for the band album was compiled (see list below). These tracks were all recorded with the E Street Band between January and May 1982 at The Power Station and The Hit Factory in New York City, NY.

Side 1:

  • BORN IN THE U.S.A.
  • MURDER INCORPORATED (spelled "Murder Inc.")
  • DOWNBOUND TRAIN
  • I'M GOIN DOWN (titled "Down Down Down")
  • GLORY DAYS
  • MY LOVE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN (titled "My Love")

Side 2:

  • WORKING ON THE HIGHWAY
  • DARLINGTON COUNTY
  • FRANKIE
  • I'M ON FIRE
  • THIS HARD LAND

In early October 1982, soon after the release of Nebraska, Springsteen moved to Los Angeles where he spent much of the following five months. He had recording engineer Mike Batlan install a home recording studio at his house in Los Angeles where he recorded more than an album's worth of songs over the early months of 1983, playing all the instruments himself except for a drum machine.

According to Brucebase, Springsteen has mentioned that sometime in early 1983 he also gave consideration to releasing the best of the Los Angeles home studio recordings as a thematic follow-up to Nebraska. This album concept is not known to have ever been given a working title because Springsteen quickly abandoned the concept.

A document from around March 1983 reveals that at the time Springsteen briefly considered releasing an album tentatively titled "Murder Incorporated" and consisting of eleven tracks. The document also lists six additional tracks that apparently were selected for B-sides. All these tracks were cut during two phases of recording sessions, the early 1982 sessions with the band and the early 1983 solo sessions.

Album:

  • BORN IN THE U.S.A.
  • MURDER INCORPORATED (spelled "Murder Inc.")
  • DOWNBOUND TRAIN
  • GLORY DAYS
  • THIS HARD LAND (titled "Hard Land")
  • MY LOVE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN (titled "My Love")
  • JOHNNY BYE-BYE (titled "Bye Bye Johnny")
  • FRANKIE
  • I'M GOIN DOWN (titled "Down Down Down")
  • WORKING ON THE HIGHWAY (spelled "Workin' on the Highway")
  • I'M ON FIRE (written between parentheses)

B-sides:

Springsteen disregarded the album and opted for another round of recording session. These sessions took place between April and June 1983 at The Hit Factory in New York City, NY, and featured the E Street Band, apparently minus Steven Van Zandt who was busy at the time recording his second solo album and touring with his own group. Following this third phase of recording sessions major mixing sessions took place and some in CBS were talking of a possible of a pre-Christmas release. In his book, Clinton Heylin revealed a track sequence for a band album that was compiled on 26-27 Jul 1983 (see list below). This new track sequence comprised of three songs carried over from the 1982 sequence, four from the early 1983, sessions and five from the recent E Street Band sessions.

Side 1:

Side 2:

As had been the case in March, Springsteen disregarded the album again and opted for another round of recording session. This final round was scattered from autumn 1983 to the early months of 1984.

Tracks

In the liner notes of his Tracks box set, Bruce Springsteen introduces the box set as follows:

During long intervals between my record releases, as I was spending more and more time in the studio, when I met a fan out on the street I was often asked, "What are you guys doing in there?" I regularly pondered that question myself.

What we were doing in there was making a lot of music, a lot more music than I could use at any one time. As a result, my albums became a series of choices — what to include, what to leave out? I based my decisions on my creative point of view at the moment — the subject I was trying to focus on, something musical or emotional I was trying to express. In certain instances, as on Darkness on the Edge of Town, Nebraska, and The Ghost of Tom Joad, these choices crystallized the album I was making. On some of my other records the reasons I had for choosing one song over another, in hindsight, feel a good deal less significant. One of the results of working like this was that a lot of music, including some of my favorite things, remained unreleased.

This collection contains everything from the first notes I sang in the Columbia recording studio, my early and later work with the E Street Band, through to my music in the 90s. It's the alternate route to some of the destinations I travelled to on my records, an invitation into the studio on the many nights we spent making music in search of the records we presented to you. I'm glad to finally be able to share this music; here are some of the ones that got away.

- Bruce Springsteen, September 1998

Bruce Springsteen's albums were thematically linked even if they were not strictly concept albums; so some tracks that didn't fit the theme of the album ended up orphaned, not necessarily because they didn't meet his high standards, but because, he says, they didn't fit in with the tone or themes he mined for each set. Many of these unreleased studio outtakes got under the hands of bootleggers. Discussing that issue in 1984, Springsteen told Rolling Stone's Kurt Loder, "We record a lot of material, but we just don't release it all. [...] I always tell myself that some day I'm gonna put an album out with all this stuff on it that didn't fit in. I think there's some good material there that should come out. Maybe at some point, I'll do that."

During a break in The Ghost Of Tom Joad Solo Acoustic Tour, Springsteen thought that "if it's gonna be a year or longer in between records, I have all this music that I know is very good that I never released and I should release some of it whether it was just a CD or something. In that period of time, I should put something out because people would like to have it and I'd like to see it get out." He told Toby Scott (his audio archivist and recording engineer), "send me all the archives, send everything that we recorded". Scott then went to work gathering the potential material from Springsteen's massive audio library (located, along with Sony's sound archives, in the high-tech Iron Mountain facility near Buffalo, NY). "For a week or so," he told Billboard in a Nov 1998 interview, "I just listened to everything that I'd done that we hadn't put out. I made some very brief notes in a notebook, and then I just put it away. It was something that I could do at some point when I get to that place in a new project where I'm not sure how long it's going to take and it would be nice to sort of fill the gap so the fans wouldn't be so long without hearing any music from me".

Springsteen told Mark Hagen in an interview for Mojo magazine published in January 1999, "So it began just with that idea and we listened to about 250 songs, maybe more, I made quick notes in a notebook and put it away. A year went by, more maybe, and I came off the Tom Joad tour and I began to write acoustically again and I wrote about half a record. Then I got stuck and said, 'Well, I'm going to put this aside for a while.' Then I wrote half of an electric record, and hit the same place. So I thought, instead of waiting for another year to put something out I'll put some of this music together. So once again I went back to the archives." According to interview comments made by engineer Toby Scott (Springsteen's audio archivist and recording engineer), it was in February 1998 during solo sessions being conducted at Thrill Hill Recording (Springsteen's home studio) in Colts Neck, NJ, that Springsteen told Scott that the time was right to proceed with the long-anticipated box set of archived, unreleased studio takes. Thrill Hill Recording served as the main operational center for all Tracks project activities. Note that the "Thrill Hill Recording" name is used for whatever home studio Springsteen is recording at, whether it's in Rumson, NJ, Colts, NJ, or Beverly Hills, CA.

Springsteen told Billboard that the songs were culled from between 200 and 300 tunes. According to Toby Scott, the number was down to about 128 songs by late June 1998. It was then narrowed down yet again in July to about 100 songs that were prepped for the Tracks release. Although the project was originally projected to be a 6-disc set, there was a commercial decision made later in the summer to reduce the size of the release to a 4-disc (66-track) set. The package was delivered to Sony in mid-September in order to facilitate the mid-November 1998 release schedule.

Unreleased songs from the Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ sessions were not included on the box set due to ongoing and still-unresolved court proceedings involving most of these unreleased 1972 recordings. The court battle wasn't resolved until in 2001 (April 2001 in the UK and June 2001 in the U.S.), and those recordings are now free for release at any time. The opening four tracks of the box set — which were culled from Springsteen's 03 May 1972 Columbia Records audition — were not part of the court proceedings.

On 16 Jul 1998, Springsteen attended a convention for Sony Music Entertainment Inc. in Miami, FL, where he officially announced that a box set was the works and he played a tape of three songs: WHERE THE BANDS ARE, LOOSE ENDS, and I WANNA BE WITH YOU.

The Tracks box set was released on Columbia Records on 10 Nov 1998. It was issued on both compact disc and audio cassette formats. It's a 4-disc (or 4-cassette) set consisting of a total of 66 tracks (almost 4.5 hours long), 10 of which were heretofore unavailable single B-sides, 6 were demos and alternate versions of already-released material, and 50 (48 studio and 2 live) were never-before-released songs recorded during the sessions for Springsteen's many albums. Some tracks were treated with a recent touch-up here or there to give the older recordings a fresh polish.

  • Disc 1 consists of material from 1972 to 1980, including Springsteen's very first Columbia Records audition for legendary A & R executive John Hammond. This disc also features additional songs most of which recorded for (but never released on) Springsteen's first four albums.
  • Disc 2 consists of material from 1979 to 1983, taken primarily from the recording sessions of The River, Nebraska, and Born In The U.S.A.. Springsteen describes this disc as "almost the completely other album from 'The River'."
  • Disc 3 consists of material from 1982 to 1987, taken primarily from the recording sessions of Born In The U.S.A. and Tunnel Of Love.
  • Disc 4 consists of material from 1989 to 1998, taken primarily from the recording sessions of Human Touch.
Bruce Springsteen -- Tracks
Bruce Springsteen -- Tracks

Disc 1 (CD format):

1.MARY QUEEN OF ARKANSASRecorded on 03 May 1972 at CBS Studios, New York City, NY
2.IT'S HARD TO BE A SAINT IN THE CITYRecorded on 03 May 1972 at CBS Studios, New York City, NY
3.GROWIN' UPRecorded on 03 May 1972 at CBS Studios, New York City, NY
4.DOES THIS BUS STOP AT 82ND STREET?Recorded on 03 May 1972 at CBS Studios, New York City, NY
5.BISHOP DANCEDRecorded live on 31 Jan 1973 at Max's Kansas City, New York City, NY
6.SANTA ANARecorded on 28 Jun 1973 at 914 Sound Studios, Blauvelt, NY
7.SEASIDE BAR SONGRecorded on 28 Jun 1973 at 914 Sound Studios, Blauvelt, NY
8.ZERO AND BLIND TERRYRecorded on 28 Jun 1973 at 914 Sound Studios, Blauvelt, NY
9.LINDA LET ME BE THE ONERecorded on 28 Jun 1975 at The Record Plant, New York City, NY
10.THUNDERCRACKRecorded on 28 Jun 1973 at 914 Sound Studios, Blauvelt, NY
11.RENDEZVOUSRecorded live on 31 Dec 1980 at Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
12.GIVE THE GIRL A KISSRecorded on 10 Nov 1977 at The Record Plant, New York City, NY
13.ICEMANRecorded on 27 Oct 1977 at The Record Plant, New York City, NY
14.BRING ON THE NIGHTRecorded on 13 Jun 1979 at The Power Station, New York City, NY
15.SO YOUNG AND IN LOVERecorded on 06 Jan 1974 at The Record Plant, New York City, NY
16.HEARTS OF STONERecorded on 14 Oct 1977 at The Record Plant, New York City, NY
17.DON'T LOOK BACKRecorded on 02 Jul 1977 at The Record Plant, New York City, NY

Disc 2 (CD format):

1.RESTLESS NIGHTSRecorded on 11 Apr 1980 at The Power Station, New York City, NY
2.A GOOD MAN IS HARD TO FIND (PITTSBURGH)Recorded on 05 May 1982 at The Power Station, New York City, NY
3.ROULETTERecorded on 03 Apr 1979 at The Power Station, New York City, NY
4.DOLLHOUSERecorded on 21 Aug 1979 at The Power Station, New York City, NY
5.WHERE THE BANDS ARERecorded on 09 Oct 1979 at The Power Station, New York City, NY
6.LOOSE ENDSRecorded on 18 Jul 1979 at The Power Station, New York City, NY
7.LIVING ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLDRecorded on 07 Dec 1979 at The Power Station, New York City, NY
8.WAGES OF SINRecorded on 10 May 1982 at The Power Station, New York City, NY
9.TAKE 'EM AS THEY COMERecorded on 10 Apr 1980 at The Power Station, New York City, NY
10.BE TRUERecorded on 21 Jul 1979 at The Power Station, New York City, NY
11.RICKY WANTS A MAN OF HER OWNRecorded on 16 Jul 1979 at The Record Plant, New York City, NY
12.I WANNA BE WITH YOURecorded on 31 May 1979 at The Power Station, New York City, NY
13.MARY LOURecorded on 30 May 1979 at The Power Station, New York City, NY
14.STOLEN CARRecorded on 26 Jul 1979 at The Power Station, New York City, NY
15.BORN IN THE U.S.A.Recorded in January 1983 at Thrill Hill Recording, Colts Neck, NJ
16.JOHNNY BYE-BYERecorded in January 1983 at Thrill Hill Recording, Beverly Hills, CA
17.SHUT OUT THE LIGHTRecorded in January 1983 at Thrill Hill Recording, Beverly Hills, CA

Disc 3 (CD format):

1.CYNTHIARecorded on 20 Apr 1983 at The Hit Factory, New York City, NY
2.MY LOVE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWNRecorded on 05 May 1982 at The Hit Factory, New York City, NY
3.THIS HARD LANDRecorded on 11 May 1982 at The Power Station, New York City, NY
4.FRANKIERecorded on 14 May 1982 at The Power Station, New York City, NY
5.TV MOVIERecorded on 13 Jun 1983 at The Hit Factory, New York City, NY
6.STAND ON ITRecorded on 16 Jun 1983 at The Hit Factory, New York City, NY
7.LION'S DENRecorded on 25 Jan 1982 at The Power Station, New York City, NY
8.CAR WASHRecorded on 31 May 1983 at The Hit Factory, New York City, NY
9.ROCKAWAY THE DAYSRecorded on 03 Feb 1984 at The Hit Factory, New York City, NY
10.BROTHERS UNDER THE BRIDGES ('83)Recorded on 04 Sep 1983 at The Hit Factory, New York City, NY
11.MAN AT THE TOPRecorded on 12 Jan 1984 at The Hit Factory, New York City, NY
12.PINK CADILLACRecorded on 31 May 1983 at The Hit Factory, New York City, NY
13.TWO FOR THE ROADRecorded in February 1987 at Thrill Hill Recording, Colts Neck, NJ
14.JANEY, DON'T YOU LOSE HEARTRecorded on 16 Jun 1983 at The Hit Factory, New York City, NY
15.WHEN YOU NEED MERecorded on 10 Jan 1987 at The Hit Factory, New York City, NY
16.THE WISHRecorded on 22 Feb 1987 at The Hit Factory, New York City, NY
17.THE HONEYMOONERSRecorded on 22 Feb 1987 at The Hit Factory, New York City, NY
18.LUCKY MANRecorded on 04 Apr 1987 at The Hit Factory, New York City, NY

Disc 4 (CD format):

1.LEAVIN' TRAINRecorded on 27 Feb 1990 at Oceanway Studios, Los Angeles, CA
2.SEVEN ANGELSRecorded on 29 Jun 1990 at Oceanway Studios, Los Angeles, CA
3.GAVE IT A NAMERecorded on 24 Aug 1998 at Thrill Hill Recording, Colts Neck, NJ
4.SAD EYESRecorded on 25 Jan 1990 at Soundworks West, Los Angeles, CA
5.MY LOVER MANRecorded on 04 Dec 1990 at Soundworks West, Los Angeles, CA
6.OVER THE RISERecorded on 07 Dec 1990 at Soundworks West, Los Angeles, CA
7.WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUTRecorded on 06 Dec 1990 at The Record Plant, Los Angeles, CA
8.LOOSE CHANGERecorded on 31 Jan 1991 at Record Plant, Los Angeles, CA
9.TROUBLE IN PARADISERecorded on 01 Dec 1989 at Soundworks West, Los Angeles, CA
10.HAPPYRecorded on 18 Jan 1992 at A & M Studios, Los Angeles, CA
11.PART MAN, PART MONKEYRecorded in January 1990 at Soundworks West, Los Angeles, CA
12.GOIN' CALIRecorded on 29 Jan 1991 at A & M Studios, Los Angeles, CA
13.BACK IN YOUR ARMSRecorded on 12 Jan 1995 at The Hit Factory, New York City, NY
14.BROTHERS UNDER THE BRIDGERecorded on 22 May 1995 at Thrill Hill Recording, Beverly Hills, CA

Bootleg Releases

Before its official release on the Tracks box set in 1998, a different mix (but same recording) of this official 1982 studio version of THIS HARD LAND has been circulating on several bootleg releases, including Murder Incorporated (Flamingo Records).

Bruce Springsteen -- Murder Incorporated (Flamingo Records)
Bruce Springsteen -- Murder Incorporated (Flamingo Records)

Other Official Releases

Other versions of THIS HARD LAND were also officially released.

Bruce Springsteen -- Greatest Hits (1995 edition)
The official 1995 studio version of THIS HARD LAND was released on the Greatest Hist (1995 edition) compilation album in 1995.
Bruce Springsteen -- Brendan Byrne Arena, New Jersey June 24, 1993
The live 24 Jun 1993 version of THIS HARD LAND was released on the Brendan Byrne Arena, New Jersey June 24, 1993 official live download in 2018.
Bruce Springsteen -- Dead Man Walkin'
The live 09 Dec 1995 version of THIS HARD LAND was released on the B-side of the Dead Man Walkin' European single in 1996.
Bruce Springsteen -- King's Hall, Belfast March 19, 1996
The live 19 Mar 1996 version of THIS HARD LAND was released on the King's Hall, Belfast March 19, 1996 official live download in 2017.
Bruce Springsteen -- Freehold, NJ 1996 Saint Rose Of Lima School Gym
The live 08 Nov 1996 version of THIS HARD LAND was released on the Freehold, NJ 1996 Saint Rose Of Lima School Gym official live download in 2018.
Bruce Springsteen -- Asbury Park 11/24/96
The live 24 Nov 1996 version of THIS HARD LAND was released on the Asbury Park 11/24/96 official live download in 2019.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Nice, France 1997
The live 18 May 1997 version of THIS HARD LAND was released on the Nice, France 1997 official live download in 2021.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Live
The live 29 Jun 2000 version of THIS HARD LAND was released on the Live promotional single in 2001.
Bruce Springsteen -- Stockholm 2005
The live 25 Jun 2005 version of THIS HARD LAND was released on the Stockholm 2005 official live download in 2020.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- TD Banknorth Garden, Boston 11/19/07
The live 19 Nov 2007 version of THIS HARD LAND was released on the TD Banknorth Garden, Boston 11/19/07 official live download in 2018.
live.brucespringsteen.net
Audio recordings for most High Hopes Tour shows were officially released on live.brucespringsteen.net. These include two versions of THIS HARD LAND.

  1. 28 Jan 2014 at Bellville Velodrome, Cape Town, South Africa
  2. 02 Mar 2014 at Mt. Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand

Live History: on-tour

SECTION NOT YET COMPLETED

In preparation for World Tour 1992-1993, THIS HARD LAND was performed during the tour's public warm-up rehearsal show that took place on 23 Mar 1993 at Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, NJ (see the live 23 Mar 1993 version). It was played in a solo acoustic guitar and harmonica arrangement. The song is also known to have been practiced during the private rehearsal that took place in March 1993 in Glasgow, Scotland, the day before the tour's 1993 leg kicked off.

  1. 23 Mar 1993 at Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ (public rehearsal)
  2. 30 Mar 1993 at SECC, Glasgow, Scotland (private rehearsal)

THIS HARD LAND was performed 29 times during World Tour 1992-1993 (104 dates, June 1992 to June 1993). At the beginning of each show during the 1993 leg of the tour, Bruce Springsteen took the stage and performed a three-song (and one time a four-song) solo acoustic set before the rest of the band joins him on stage. THIS HARD LAND was performed during all 27 shows of the 1993 leg of the tour, always the last song of the solo acoustic mini-set. The 24 Jun 1993 show in East Rutherford, NJ, was billed as "Concert To Fight Hunger" and the 26 Jun 1993 show in New York City, NY, was billed as "Kristen Ann Carr Fund Benefit Concert". The live 24 Jun 1993 version of THIS HARD LAND was released on the Brendan Byrne Arena, New Jersey June 24, 1993 official live download in 2018.

  1. 31 Mar 1993 at SECC, Glasgow, Scotland
  2. 03 Apr 1993 at Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, Germany
  3. 04 Apr 1993 at Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, Germany
  4. 07 Apr 1993 at Hallenstadion, Zurich, Switzerland
  5. 08 Apr 1993 at Hallenstadion, Zurich, Switzerland
  6. 11 Apr 1993 at Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi, Verona, Italy
  7. 13 Apr 1993 at Halle Tony Garnier, Lyon, France
  8. 15 Apr 1993 at Sheffield Arena, Sheffield, England
  9. 16 Apr 1993 at Sheffield Arena, Sheffield, England
  10. 19 Apr 1993 at Sportpaleis Ahoy, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  11. 20 Apr 1993 at Sportpaleis Ahoy, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  12. 23 Apr 1993 at Flanders Expo, Ghent, Belgium
  13. 24 Apr 1993 at Flanders Expo, Ghent, Belgium
  14. 01 May 1993 at Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal
  15. 05 May 1993 at Estadio Vicente Calderón, Madrid, Spain
  16. 07 May 1993 at Estadio Municipal El Molinón, Gijón, Spain
  17. 09 May 1993 at Auditorio Monte Do Gozo, Santiago De Compostela, Spain
  18. 11 May 1993 at Estadi Olímpic De Montjuic, Barcelona, Spain
  19. 14 May 1993 at Waldbuhne, Berlin, Germany
  20. 16 May 1993 at Alter Flughafen Riem, Munich, Germany
  21. 17 May 1993 at Maimarkthalle, Mannheim, Germany
  22. 20 May 1993 at RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland
  23. 22 May 1993 at The National Bowl, Milton Keynes, England
  24. 25 May 1993 at Stadio Flaminio, Rome, Italy
  25. 28 May 1993 at Stockholms Stadion, Stockholm, Sweden
  26. 30 May 1993 at Gentofte Stadion, Copenhagen, Denmark
  27. 01 Jun 1993 at Valle Hovin Stadion, Oslo, Norway
  28. 24 Jun 1993 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  29. 26 Jun 1993 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY

In preparation for The Ghost Of Tom Joad Solo Acoustic Tour, THIS HARD LAND was performed during the tour's public warm-up rehearsal show that took place on 21 Nov 1995 at State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ. The song was played in a solo acoustic guitar and harmonica arrangement.

  1. 21 Nov 1995 at State Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ (public rehearsal)

THIS HARD LAND was performed 127 times during The Ghost Of Tom Joad Solo Acoustic Tour (128 dates, November 1995 to May 1997); that is all of the tour's regular dates except one: 12 Feb 1997 in Sydney, Australia. On this tour, the song was played in a solo acoustic guitar and harmonica arrangement. The live 09 Dec 1995 version of THIS HARD LAND was released on the Columbia Records Radio Hour Part 1 & 2 radio show in 1995. The live 19 Mar 1996 version of THIS HARD LAND was released on the King's Hall, Belfast March 19, 1996 official live download in 2017. The live 08 Nov 1996 version of THIS HARD LAND was released on the Freehold, NJ 1996 Saint Rose Of Lima School Gym official live download in 2018. The live 24 Nov 1996 version of THIS HARD LAND was released on the Asbury Park 11/24/96 official live download in 2019. The live 18 May 1997 version of THIS HARD LAND was released on the Nice, France 1997 official live download in 2021.

  1. 22 Nov 1995 at Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ
  2. 26 Nov 1995 at Wiltern Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
  3. 27 Nov 1995 at Wiltern Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
  4. 29 Nov 1995 at Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, CA
  5. 30 Nov 1995 at Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, CA
  6. 03 Dec 1995 at Rosemont Theatre, Theatre, IL
  7. 05 Dec 1995 at DAR Constitution Hall, Washington, DC
  8. 06 Dec 1995 at DAR Constitution Hall, Washington, DC
  9. 08 Dec 1995 at Tower Theater, Upper Darby, PA
  10. 09 Dec 1995 at Tower Theater, Upper Darby, PA
  11. 12 Dec 1995 at Beacon Theatre, New York City, NY
  12. 13 Dec 1995 at Beacon Theatre, New York City, NY
  13. 15 Dec 1995 at Orpheum Theatre, Boston, MA
  14. 16 Dec 1995 at Orpheum Theatre, Boston, MA
  15. 17 Dec 1995 at Beacon Theatre, New York City, NY
  16. 07 Jan 1996 at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, Montreal, Canada
  17. 08 Jan 1996 at Massey Hall, Toronto, Canada
  18. 10 Jan 1996 at Fox Theatre, Detroit, MI
  19. 11 Jan 1996 at Fox Theatre, Detroit, MI
  20. 12 Jan 1996 at Stambaugh Auditorium, Youngstown, OH
  21. 16 Jan 1996 at Cleveland Music Hall, Cleveland, OH
  22. 17 Jan 1996 at Cleveland Music Hall, Cleveland, OH
  23. 18 Jan 1996 at Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO
  24. 22 Jan 1996 at Saenger Performing Arts Center, New Orleans, LA
  25. 23 Jan 1996 at Jesse H. Jones Hall For The Performing Arts, Houston, TX
  26. 25 Jan 1996 at Austin Music Hall, Austin, TX
  27. 26 Jan 1996 at Bronco Bowl, Dallas, TX
  28. 28 Jan 1996 at Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA
  29. 12 Feb 1996 at Alte Oper, Frankfurt, Germany
  30. 14 Feb 1996 at Kulturpalst, Dresden, Germany
  31. 15 Feb 1996 at Rudi-Sedlmayer-Halle, Munich, Germany
  32. 17 Feb 1996 at Congress Centrum Hamburg Halle 1, Hamburg, Germany
  33. 18 Feb 1996 at Phillipshalle, Dusseldorf, Germany
  34. 21 Feb 1996 at Le Zénith De Paris, Paris, France
  35. 22 Feb 1996 at Le Zénith De Paris, Paris, France
  36. 25 Feb 1996 at De Doelen, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  37. 26 Feb 1996 at Koninklijk Theater Carré, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  38. 28 Feb 1996 at Apollo Theatre, Manchester, England
  39. 29 Feb 1996 at Symphony Hall, Birmingham, England
  40. 02 Mar 1996 at Newcastle City Hall, Newcastle, England
  41. 03 Mar 1996 at Edinburgh Playhouse, Edinburgh, Scotland
  42. 13 Mar 1996 at Cirkus, Stockholm, Sweden
  43. 14 Mar 1996 at Oslo Spektrum, Oslo, Norway
  44. 16 Mar 1996 at Falkoner Salen, Copenhagen, Denmark
  45. 19 Mar 1996 at King's Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland
  46. 20 Mar 1996 at Point Theatre, Dublin, Ireland
  47. 10 Apr 1996 at Auditorium Santa Cecilia, Rome, Italy
  48. 11 Apr 1996 at Teatro Smeraldo, Milan, Italy
  49. 13 Apr 1996 at Teatro Carlo Felice, Genoa, Italy
  50. 16 Apr 1996 at Royal Albert Hall, London, England
  51. 17 Apr 1996 at Royal Albert Hall, London, England
  52. 19 Apr 1996 at ICC Berlin Saal 1, Berlin, Germany
  53. 20 Apr 1996 at Koningin Elisabethzaal, Antwerp, Belgium
  54. 22 Apr 1996 at Royal Albert Hall, London, England
  55. 24 Apr 1996 at Brixton Academy, London, England
  56. 25 Apr 1996 at Brixton Academy, London, England
  57. 27 Apr 1996 at Royal Albert Hall, London, England
  58. 30 Apr 1996 at Salle Erasme, Strasbourg, France
  59. 01 May 1996 at Palais Des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, Belgium
  60. 02 May 1996 at Kongresshaus, Zurich, Switzerland
  61. 06 May 1996 at Teatro Tivoli, Barcelona, Spain
  62. 07 May 1996 at Teatro Tivoli, Barcelona, Spain
  63. 08 May 1996 at Palacio De Congresos Y Exposiciones, Madrid, Spain
  64. 16 Sep 1996 at Benedum Center, Pittsburgh, PA
  65. 18 Sep 1996 at Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford, CT
  66. 19 Sep 1996 at Providence Performing Arts Center, Providence, RI
  67. 24 Sep 1996 at James W. Miller Auditorium, Kalamazoo, MI
  68. 25 Sep 1996 at E. J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall, Akron, OH
  69. 26 Sep 1996 at Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, MI
  70. 01 Oct 1996 at Braden Auditorium, Normal, IL
  71. 02 Oct 1996 at Riverside Theater, Milwaukee, WI
  72. 03 Oct 1996 at Northrop Auditorium, Minneapolis, MN
  73. 15 Oct 1996 at Abravanel Hall, Salt Lake City, UT
  74. 16 Oct 1996 at Paramount Theatre, Denver, CO
  75. 17 Oct 1996 at Paramount Theatre, Denver, CO
  76. 19 Oct 1996 at Kiva Auditorium, Albuquerque, NM
  77. 21 Oct 1996 at Grady Gammage Memorial Auditorium, Tempe, AZ
  78. 22 Oct 1996 at Civic Theatre, San Diego, CA
  79. 23 Oct 1996 at William Saroyan Theatre, Fresno, CA
  80. 25 Oct 1996 at Arlington Theater, Santa Barbara, CA
  81. 26 Oct 1996 at Event Center Arena, San Jose, CA
  82. 28 Oct 1996 at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland, OR
  83. 29 Oct 1996 at Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA
  84. 08 Nov 1996 at Saint Rose Of Lima School, Freehold, NJ
  85. 12 Nov 1996 at Shea's Performing Arts Center, Buffalo, NY
  86. 13 Nov 1996 at Landmark Theatre, Syracuse, NY
  87. 14 Nov 1996 at Lowell Memorial Auditorium, Lowell, MA
  88. 19 Nov 1996 at Ellis Auditorium, Memphis, TN
  89. 20 Nov 1996 at The Louisville Palace, Louisville, KY
  90. 21 Nov 1996 at Murat Theatre, Indianapolis, IN
  91. 24 Nov 1996 at Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ
  92. 25 Nov 1996 at Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ
  93. 26 Nov 1996 at Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ
  94. 02 Dec 1996 at Sunrise Musical Theatre, Sunrise, FL
  95. 03 Dec 1996 at Sunrise Musical Theatre, Sunrise, FL
  96. 05 Dec 1996 at Township Auditorium, Columbia, SC
  97. 06 Dec 1996 at Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Concert Hall, Birmingham, AL
  98. 10 Dec 1996 at Music Hall, Cincinnati, OH
  99. 11 Dec 1996 at Veterans Memorial Auditorium, Columbus, OH
  100. 12 Dec 1996 at Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN
  101. 14 Dec 1996 at Ovens Auditorium, Charlotte, NC
  102. 27 Jan 1997 at International Forum, Tokyo, Japan
  103. 29 Jan 1997 at International Forum, Tokyo, Japan
  104. 30 Jan 1997 at International Forum, Tokyo, Japan
  105. 31 Jan 1997 at International Forum, Tokyo, Japan
  106. 04 Feb 1997 at QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane, Australia
  107. 05 Feb 1997 at QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane, Australia
  108. 07 Feb 1997 at Capitol Theatre, Sydney, Australia
  109. 08 Feb 1997 at Capitol Theatre, Sydney, Australia
  110. 10 Feb 1997 at Capitol Theatre, Sydney, Australia
  111. 11 Feb 1997 at Capitol Theatre, Sydney, Australia
  112. 15 Feb 1997 at Palais Theatre, Melbourne, Australia
  113. 16 Feb 1997 at Palais Theatre, Melbourne, Australia
  114. 17 Feb 1997 at Palais Theatre, Melbourne, Australia
  115. 06 May 1997 at Austria Center Vienna, Vienna, Austria
  116. 07 May 1997 at Austria Center Vienna, Vienna, Austria
  117. 09 May 1997 at Sala Kongresowa, Warsaw, Poland
  118. 10 May 1997 at Sala Kongresowa, Warsaw, Poland
  119. 12 May 1997 at Congress Centre, Prague, Czech Republic
  120. 15 May 1997 at Auditorium Maurice Ravel, Lyon, France
  121. 16 May 1997 at Le Corum, Montpellier, France
  122. 18 May 1997 at Palais Des Congrès Acropolis, Nice, France
  123. 19 May 1997 at Zénith Oméga, Toulon, France
  124. 21 May 1997 at Teatro Verdi, Florence, Italy
  125. 22 May 1997 at Teatro Augusteo, Naples, Italy
  126. 25 May 1997 at Palais Des Congrès De Paris, Paris, France
  127. 26 May 1997 at Palais Des Congrès De Paris, Paris, France

In preparation for The Reunion Tour, THIS HARD LAND is known to have been practiced during at least one of the private rehearsals that took place in March 1999 in Asbury Park prior to the tour's first leg.

  1. 05 Mar 1999 at Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ (private rehearsal)

THIS HARD LAND was performed 10 times during what is known as The Reunion Tour (132 dates, April 1999 to July 2000). The song was played in a full-band arrangement. The 29 Jun 2000 performance of THIS HARD LAND was officially released in 2001 on the Live promo single. See the live 29 Jun 2000 version for more details.

  1. 20 Apr 1999 at Fila Forum, Milan, Italy
  2. 21 May 1999 at Earls Court, London, England
  3. 29 May 1999 at Parkbühne Wuhlheide, Berlin, Germany
  4. 02 Jun 1999 at Palais Omnisports De Paris-Bercy, Paris, France
  5. 02 Aug 1999 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  6. 21 Oct 1999 at Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
  7. 21 May 2000 at Arrowhead Pond Of Anaheim, Anaheim, CA
  8. 04 Jun 2000 at Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
  9. 15 Jun 2000 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  10. 29 Jun 2000 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY

THIS HARD LAND was performed 9 times during The Rising Tour (120 dates, August 2002 to October 2003). The song was played 7 times in a full band arrangement and two times in a solo acoustic arrangement.

  1. 09 Dec 2002 at Carolina Center, Columbia, SC (full band)
  2. 13 Dec 2002 at Pepsi Arena, Albany, NY (full band)
  3. 28 Feb 2003 at The Arena At Gwinnett Center, Duluth, GA (full band)
  4. 02 Mar 2003 at Frank Erwin Center, Austin, TX (full band)
  5. 26 Mar 2003 at Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia (full band)
  6. 11 Apr 2003 at Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, Canada (full band)
  7. 10 May 2003 at Südweststadion, Ludwigshafen, Germany (solo acoustic)
  8. 24 May 2003 at Stade De France, Saint-Denis, France (solo acoustic)
  9. 30 Aug 2003 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ (full band)

In preparation for the Devils & Dust Solo Acoustic Tour, THIS HARD LAND was performed during one of the tour's two public warm-up rehearsal shows that took place in April 2005 in Asbury Park. It was played in a solo acoustic guitar and harmonica arrangement. The song is also known to have been practiced during at least one of the private rehearsals that took place in March and April 2005 in Asbury Park prior to the tour's first leg.

  1. 09 Mar 2005 at Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ (private rehearsal)
  2. 21 Apr 2005 at Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ (public rehearsal)

THIS HARD LAND was performed 24 times during the Devils & Dust Solo Acoustic Tour (72 dates, April to November 2005). The song was played in a solo acoustic arrangement, except on 30 Apr 2005 in Glendale, AZ, when Nils Lofgren joined Springsteen on dobro. The live 25 Jun 2005 version of THIS HARD LAND was released on the Stockholm 2005 official live download in 2020.

  1. 25 Apr 2005 at Fox Theatre, Detroit, MI
  2. 30 Apr 2005 at Glendale Arena, Glendale, AZ
  3. 02 May 2005 at Pantages Theatre, Hollywood, CA
  4. 07 May 2005 at Colorado Convention Center Lecture Hall, Denver, CO
  5. 16 Jun 2005 at Philipshalle, Dusseldorf, Germany
  6. 19 Jun 2005 at Sportpaleis Ahoy, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  7. 20 Jun 2005 at Palais Omnisports De Paris-Bercy, Paris, France
  8. 22 Jun 2005 at Forum København, Copenhagen, Denmark
  9. 23 Jun 2005 at Scandinavium, Gothenburg, Sweden
  10. 25 Jun 2005 at Hovet, Stockholm, Sweden
  11. 27 Jun 2005 at Color Line Arena, Hamburg, Germany
  12. 28 Jun 2005 at ICC Berlin, Berlin, Germany
  13. 13 Jul 2005 at Corel Centre, Ottawa, Canada
  14. 14 Jul 2005 at Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Canada
  15. 16 Jul 2005 at Pepsi Arena, Albany, NY
  16. 01 Aug 2005 at U.S. Bank Arena, Cincinnati, OH
  17. 11 Aug 2005 at Keyarena At Seattle Center, Seattle, WA
  18. 06 Oct 2005 at Blue Cross Arena At The War Memorial, Rochester, NY
  19. 09 Oct 2005 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
  20. 13 Oct 2005 at United Center, Chicago, IL
  21. 24 Oct 2005 at Richmond Coliseum, Richmond, VA
  22. 08 Nov 2005 at Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  23. 13 Nov 2005 at Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ
  24. 21 Nov 2005 at Sovereign Bank Arena, Trenton, NJ

THIS HARD LAND was performed 4 times during the Magic Tour (100 dates, October 2007 to August 2008). The song was played in a full band arrangement. The live 19 Nov 2007 version of THIS HARD LAND was released on the TD Banknorth Garden, Boston 11/19/07 official live download in 2018.

  1. 19 Nov 2007 at TD Banknorth Garden, Boston, MA
  2. 02 May 2008 at Bankatlantic Center, Sunrise, FL
  3. 04 Jul 2008 at Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
  4. 20 Jul 2008 at Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain

THIS HARD LAND was performed 4 times during the Working On A Dream Tour (83 dates, April to November 2009). The song was played in a full band arrangement.

  1. 02 Jul 2009 at Olympiastadion, Munich, Germany
  2. 26 Jul 2009 at Estadio San Mamés, Bilbao, Spain
  3. 16 Sep 2009 at BI-LO Center, Greenville, SC
  4. 13 Oct 2009 at Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA

THIS HARD LAND was performed 13 times during the Wrecking Ball Tour (133 dates, March 2012 to September 2013). The song was played three times in a full band arrangement and ten times in a solo acoustic arrangement. When played solo, the song was either part of a solo acoustic pre-show or the opener or closer of the main show.

  1. 11 Jul 2012 at Synot Tip Arena, Prague, Czech Republic (full band)
  2. 18 Jul 2012 at RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland (solo acoustic, show opener)
  3. 29 Apr 2013 at Telenor Arena, Oslo, Norway (solo acoustic, during the pre-show)
  4. 07 May 2013 at HK Areena, Turku, Finland (full band)
  5. 23 May 2013 at Piazza Del Plebiscito, Naples, Italy (solo acoustic, during the pre-show)
  6. 15 Jun 2013 at Wembley Stadium, London, England (full band)
  7. 29 Jun 2013 at Stade De France, Saint-Denis, France (solo acoustic, during the pre-show)
  8. 20 Jul 2013 at King's Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland (solo acoustic, during the pre-show)
  9. 28 Jul 2013 at Nowlan Park, Kilkenny, Ireland (solo acoustic)
  10. 12 Sep 2013 at Movistar Arena, Santiago, Chile (solo acoustic, show closer)
  11. 14 Sep 2013 at Estadio G.E.B.A., Buenos Aires, Argentina (solo acoustic, show closer)
  12. 18 Sep 2013 at Espaço Das Américas, São Paulo, Brazil (solo acoustic, show closer)
  13. 21 Sep 2013 at Cidade Do Rock, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil (solo acoustic, show closer)

THIS HARD LAND was performed 3 times during the High Hopes Tour (34 dates, January to May 2014). The song was played in a solo acoustic arrangement and was the show closer of all three dates. Audio recordings for most High Hopes Tour shows are officially available for purchase. See the live 28 Jan 2014 version for more details.

  1. 28 Jan 2014 at Bellville Velodrome, Cape Town, South Africa
  2. 16 Feb 2014 at AAMI Park, Melbourne, Australia
  3. 02 Mar 2014 at Mt. Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand

THIS HARD LAND was performed 13 times during Springsteen On Broadway (268 dates, October 2017 to December 2018 and June to September 2021). On this tour, the song was played solo on acoustic guitar and harmonica.

  1. 10 Jul 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  2. 27 Jul 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  3. 25 Aug 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  4. 28 Sep 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  5. 29 Sep 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  6. 04 Oct 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  7. 05 Oct 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  8. 06 Oct 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  9. 02 Nov 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  10. 03 Nov 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  11. 10 Nov 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  12. 28 Nov 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  13. 05 Dec 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY

Live History: off-tour

THIS HARD LAND was performed off-tour on 21 Feb 1995 at Tramps nightclub in New York City, NY, during a reunion gig with the E Street Band. The song was played in a full-band arrangement. See the live 21 Feb 1995 version for more details.

THIS HARD LAND was performed off-tour on 05 Apr 1995 at Sony Music Studios in New York City, NY, during a gig with the E Street Band to promote the release of the Greatest Hits album. Two takes of the song were performed, played in a full-band arrangement. See the live 05 Apr 1995 (Sony Music Studios) version for more details.

THIS HARD LAND was performed off-tour on 28 Oct 1995 at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA, during the ninth Bridge School Benefit concert. The song was played in a solo acoustic guitar and harmonica arrangement. See the live 28 Oct 1995 version for more details.

THIS HARD LAND was performed off-tour on 11 Dec 1998 during an appearance on Italian TV and 14 Dec 1998 during an appearance on Spanish TV during a brief European media tour to promote the Tracks box set. The song was played in a solo acoustic guitar and harmonica arrangement. See the live 11 Dec 1998 version and live 14 Dec 1998 version for more details.

THIS HARD LAND was performed off-tour on 18 Aug 2001 at Asbury Park Waterfront in Asbury Park, NJ, during the 26th annual Clearwater Festival. The song was played in a solo acoustic arrangement.

THIS HARD LAND was performed off-tour on 19 and 20 Feb 2003 at Somerville Theatre in Somerville, MA, during the DoubleTake Magazine benefit shows. The song was played in a solo acoustic guitar and harmonica arrangement. See the live 19 Feb 2003 version and the live 20 Feb 2003 version for more details.

THIS HARD LAND was performed off-tour on 02 Dec 2004 at Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh, PA, during the "Flood Aid '04" benefit concert. The song was played with a full-band arrangement.

THIS HARD LAND was performed off-tour on 19 Dec 2004 at Harry's Roadhouse in Asbury Park, NJ, during both holiday jam shows that took place that day. The song was played solo on acoustic guitar and harmonica.

THIS HARD LAND was performed off-tour on 30 Jun 2005 at Keflavik International Airport in Keflavik, Iceland. On his way from Germany back to the US in the midst the Devils & Dust Solo Acoustic Tour, Springsteen's private plane stopped for refueling at Keflavik International Airport in the early hours of 30 Jun 2005. Having never set foot in the country, Springsteen just grabbed his guitar and walked into the small terminal and played a six-song set for the lucky late-shift workers at the airport. According to the Iceland Review, "The employees commented that Springsteen showed no pretense and was very down-to-earth, chatting away with them. His friend asked the airport employees if they would like to listen to a few tunes."

  1. 21 Feb 1995 at Tramps, New York City, NY
  2. 05 Apr 1995 at Sony Music Studios, New York City, NY
  3. 28 Oct 1995 at Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA
  4. 11 Dec 1998 at PalaDozza Arena, Bologna, Italy
  5. 14 Dec 1998 at Teatro Real, Madrid, Spain
  6. 18 Aug 2001 at Asbury Park Waterfront, Asbury Park, NJ
  7. 19 Feb 2003 at Somerville Theatre, Somerville, MA
  8. 20 Feb 2003 at Somerville Theatre, Somerville, MA
  9. 02 Dec 2004 at Heinz Hall, Pittsburgh, PA
  10. 19 Dec 2004 (early show) at Harry's Roadhouse, Asbury Park, NJ
  11. 19 Dec 2004 (late show) at Harry's Roadhouse, Asbury Park, NJ
  12. 30 Jun 2005 at Keflavik International Airport, Keflavik, Iceland

THIS HARD LAND was performed during the fifth (2004) and eleventh (2011) annual Light Of Day benefits. The song was played in a full-band arrangement in 2004 and in a solo acoustic guitar and harmonica arrangement in 2011.

  1. 06 Nov 2004 at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ (during the fifth annual Light Of Day benefit)
  2. 15 Jan 2011 at Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ (during the eleventh annual Light Of Day benefit)

Bruce Springsteen has been performing on almost all the annual Stand Up for Heroes benefits since 2007. THIS HARD LAND was performed during the first (2007), third (2009), and twelfth (2018) annual benefits.

  1. 07 Nov 2007 at Town Hall, New York City, NY (during the first annual Stand Up For Heroes benefit)
  2. 04 Nov 2009 at Town Hall, New York City, NY (during the third annual Stand Up For Heroes benefit)
  3. 05 Nov 2018 at Hulu Theater At Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY (during the twelfth annual Stand Up For Heroes benefit)

THIS HARD LAND was performed on 16 Oct 2008 at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, NY, during the "Change Rocks" benefit show for Barack Obama's presidential campaign. The song was played in a solo acoustic arrangement.

  1. 16 Oct 2008 at Hammerstein Ballroom, New York City, NY

Bruce Springsteen appeared at a total of six Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers concerts at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum in Pittsburgh, PA, in 2010, 2011, and 2014. THIS HARD LAND was performed on 04 Nov 2010 and 05 Nov 2010. The song was played in a solo acoustic arrangement.

  1. 04 Nov 2010 at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum, Pittsburgh, PA
  2. 05 Nov 2010 at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum, Pittsburgh, PA

Covers

At least 6 artists have recorded and released Bruce Springsteen's THIS HARD LAND.

Mark Linskey -- Stay Hard, Stay Hungry, Stay Alive: Songs Of Freedom
Mark Linskey -- Stay Hard, Stay Hungry, Stay Alive: Songs Of Freedom

CD - Roachender Records (no catalog number) - USA, 2003
Luca Hawk -- Bruce Springsteen Tribute: Acoustic Solo Project
Luca Hawk -- Bruce Springsteen Tribute: Acoustic Solo Project

CD EP - no label (no catalog number) - Italy, 2007

This is a promotional Bruce Springsteen tribute EP.
Andrew Nicholson -- Lost Highway: A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen
Andrew Nicholson -- Lost Highway: A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen

CD - no label (no catalog number) - UK, 2008

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Various artists -- Las Vaquitas Son Ajenas: Visión Social y Politica de Bruce Springsteen
Various artists -- Las Vaquitas Son Ajenas: Visión Social y Politica de Bruce Springsteen

CD EP - no label (no catalog number) - Argentina, 2016

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute EP. THIS HARD LAND is performed by Patricio Braverman.
Stormy Mondays -- Nebraska
Stormy Mondays -- Nebraska

CD - Electric Satellite Records (ESR 002) - Spain, 2019
LP - Electric Satellite Records (ESR 002-LP) - Spain, 2021

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Zerbo -- Never Ending Volume I
Zerbo -- Never Ending Volume I

CD - no label (no catalog number) - Italy, 2019

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.

Request

If you have audio or any additional information about the 1995 studio take of THIS HARD LAND that is in very limited circulation, or if you have any corrections, additions, or comments to this page, please contact me via the below form or by email: .

Available Versions

List of available versions of THIS HARD LAND on this website:

THIS HARD LAND [Official 1982 studio version]
THIS HARD LAND [Official 1995 studio version]
THIS HARD LAND [Unofficial 1995 studio version]
THIS HARD LAND [Live 23 Mar 1993 version]
THIS HARD LAND [Live 21 Feb 1995 version]
THIS HARD LAND [Live 05 Apr 1995 (Sony Music Studios) version]
THIS HARD LAND [Live 28 Oct 1995 version]
THIS HARD LAND [Live 09 Dec 1995 version]
THIS HARD LAND [Live 11 Dec 1998 version]
THIS HARD LAND [Live 14 Dec 1998 version]
THIS HARD LAND [Live 29 Jun 2000 version]
THIS HARD LAND [Live 19 Feb 2003 version]
THIS HARD LAND [Live 20 Feb 2003 version]
THIS HARD LAND [Live 28 Jul 2013 version]
THIS HARD LAND [Live 28 Jan 2014 version]

Page last updated: 07 Nov 2015