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LIFT ME UP
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| Limbo booklet | The Essential Bruce Springsteen booklet |
| "There behind the morning clouds" | "Veiled behind the morning clouds" |
| "I'll take the faith the daylight brings" | "I'll take the fate the daylight brings" |
| "And the light above" | "Lifts away this night in the light above" |
Writing Date
According to Limbo director John Sayles, the movie producer Maggie Renzi ran into Bruce Springsteen at an airport and he asked if there's anything he could do to help. Sayles and Renzi thought of Springsteen for the final song of the movie, and they wanted "something that was healing but also something that was about risk", as Sayles described it.
Sayles says that the lyrics of LIFT ME UP were something that Springsteen "had been working on three years but had never really finished". This means that he started working on it during The Ghost Of Tom Joad Solo Acoustic Tour, or possibly during the time he was writing or recording The Ghost Of Tom Joad album.
Recording
Bruce Springsteen recorded LIFT ME UP sometime between October 1998 and January 1999 at Thrill Hill Recording (Springsteen's home studio) in Colts Neck, NJ. Springsteen, who is the sole producer on the track, handles vocals (in a falsetto voice) and all instruments. The track was recorded and mixed by Toby Scott.
The Motion Picture Limbo
Limbo is a 1999 drama film directed by John Sayles and produced by Maggie Renzi. It stars Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, David Strathairn, Vanessa Martinez and Kris Kristofferson. The film debuted 22 May 1999 at the Cannes Film Festival, and was released in the US on 04 Jun 1999. John Sales was nominated for a Golden Palm Award at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival and won the Best Director Golden Space Needle Award at the 1999 Seattle International Film Festival.
Plot: Limbo tells the story of people trying to reinvent themselves in the Southeastern islands of Alaska. The story revolves around Joe Gastineau, a fisherman traumatized by an accident at sea years before, singer Donna de Angelo and her disaffected daughter Noelle who come into Joe's life. When Joe's fast-talking half-brother Bobby returns to town and asks Joe for a favor, the lives of the characters are changed forever. Starring: Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, David Strathairn, Vanessa Martinez, Kris Kristofferson Directed by: John Sayles Produced by: Maggie Renzi Written by: John Sayles Distributed by: Columbia TriStar Release date: 22 May 1999 |
Springsteen and John Sayles
Springsteen's relation with Sayles dates back to 1983, when ADAM RAISED A CAIN, IT'S HARD TO BE A SAINT IN THE CITY, SHE'S THE ONE, and THE E STREET SHUFFLE were used in the soundtrack of his movie Baby It's You. Sayles also directed Bruce's videos for BORN IN THE USA in 1984 and I'M ON FIRE and GLORY DAYS in 1985.
Official Releases
LIFT ME UP was first released on the soundtrack of the motion picture Limbo on 01 Jun 1999, and was later included on The Essential Bruce Springsteen bonus disc in November 2003. The song also plays during the end credits of Springsteen's 2001 DVD The Complete Video Anthology / 1978-2000.
John Sayles' liner notes in the Limbo soundtrack album booklet:
Bruce Springsteen has written a haunting new song for the final credits. In the prayer-like LIFT ME UP, the singer is asking for nothing more and promising nothing less than to take the risk of unconditional love.
Video Anthology Home Video
Video Anthology / 1978-88 is a collection of 18 Bruce Springsteen music videos and concert performances, released in VHS format on 31 Jan 1989. The home video was also released on LaserDisc.
[Click here to display/hide detailed track listing]
Sonny reissued the video on 16 Jan 2001 in DVD format. Titled The Complete Video Anthology / 1978-2000, the new release added a second disc with 15 additional music video, concert performances, and television appearances.
[Click here to display/hide detailed track listing]
The Essential Bruce Springsteen
The Essential Bruce Springsteen is a compilation album released on 11 November 2003 on Columbia Records. It's part of a series of "Essential" sets released by Sony BMG (previously Sony Music Entertainment). Per liner notes comments by Springsteen, the collection was intended as an introduction to his music for new fans who attended shows on The Rising Tour; hence, it includes songs from every Springsteen album since his debut. The album was available as a 2-disc set (which clocks at 153:23) and as a limited edition 3-disc set (which clocks at 200:45). For the latter, the third disc contained a selection of rarities and previously unreleased recordings.
The Essential Bruce Springsteen debuted and peaked at #14 on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart where it spent 13 weeks. The album was awarded certified gold and platinum records by the RIAA on 16 Dec 2003. The Essential Bruce Springsteen also reached #28 on the UK Albums Chart.
[Click here to display/hide detailed track listing]
Bruce Springsteen's liner notes in The Essential Bruce Springsteen album booklet:
Director John Sayles called and said he was looking for a song to end his film "Limbo." The picture ends with a small plane approaching an island his main characters were stranded on. I tried to pick up the hum of the plane's engine and write something ethereal using the falsetto voice I'd developed in the '90s.
Live History
LIFT ME UP was performed once during the Devils & Dust Solo Acoustic Tour, on 31 Jul 2005 in Columbus, OH. This was the only time that Springsteen played this song live. See the live 31 Jul 2005 version for more details.
[Click here to display/hide detailed Devils & Dust Solo Acoustic Tour performances list]
Available Versions
List of available versions of LIFT ME UP on this website:
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