Live 19 Aug 1985 version
[Spoken intro:] Thank you. I'd like to thank everybody for coming down tonight. Thank you very much. Uh, I guess... when I was a kid and I heard, heard music of Elvis Presley, and the best of rock and roll. That always kinda said just one thing to me and it was a simple thing. It just said, "Let freedom ring, for everybody everywhere." Well this is, this is our hometown, so we gotta fight for it every day.
One, two!
In the day we sweat it out on the streets of a runaway American dream
At night we ride through mansions of glory in suicide machines
Sprung from cages on Highway 9, chrome-wheeled, fuel-injected, stepping out over the line
Whoah baby, this town rips the bones from your back
It's a death trap, it's a suicide rap, we gotta get out while we're young
'Cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run
Hey!
Wendy, let me in, I wanna be your friend, I wanna guard your dreams and visions
Just wrap your legs 'round these velvet rims and strap your hands across my engines
Together we could break this trap, run till we drop, baby we'll never go back
Whoah, you walk with me out on the wire
Girl, I'm just a scared and lonely rider, I gotta know how it feels
I wanna know if love is wild, I wanna know if love is real
Well can you show me
One, two, three!
Beyond the Palace hemi-powered drones scream down the boulevard
The girls comb their hair in rearview mirrors, the boys try to look so hard
The amusement park rises bold and stark, kids are huddled on the beach in a mist
I wanna die with you, Wendy, on the street tonight in an everlasting kiss
One, two, three!
Highway's jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power drive
Everybody's out on the run tonight, there's no place left to hide
Together, Wendy, we'll live with the sadness, I'll love you with all the madness in my soul
Whoah, someday girl, I don't know when
We're gonna get to that place we really want to go, we'll walk in the sun
But till then tramps like us, baby we were born to run
Tramps like us, baby we were born to run
Tramps like us, baby we were born to run
Whoah whoah whoah
Whoah whoah whoah
Oh-oh oh ohhh oh-oh-oh
Oh oh oh oh-oh-oh
Whoah whoah whoah
Whoah whoah whoah
Whoah whoah whoah
Oh oh oh oh ohhh
The above lyrics are for the live 19 Aug 1984 performance of BORN TO RUN at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, during the Born In The U.S.A. Tour. The song was played in its full-band album arrangement. This live 19 Aug 1985 performance of BORN TO RUN was included on the Live/1975-85 box set in 1986 and the Video Anthology / 1978-88 home video in 1989. The parts in bold are edited out on the official releases and the parts in red (and probably more) are edited in from another show.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performed six concerts at Giants Stadium between 18 Aug and 01 Sep 1984. These shows later became one of the main sources for the Live/1975-85 box set which includes five recordings from these shows: four from 19 Aug 1985 and one from 21 Aug 1985.
In 1987, a music video for BORN TO RUN directed by Arthur Rosato was released to MTV and other channels. The video features the live 19 Aug 1985 version of the song, interspersed with clips of other songs' performances from the same tour, and ends with the message "Thanks To All Our Fans! Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band".
The video was included on the Video Anthology / 1978-88 home video in 1989 and was posted on Bruce Springsteen's VEVO YouTube channel on 02 Oct 2009. It was also included on the Japanese Singles Collection -Greatest Hits- compilation album.
With the Born In The U.S.A. album and tour, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band reached the highest level of rock stardom. Columbia Records was expecting a follow up studio album and tour that would, like it's predecessor, achieve a huge commercial success. Instead, Springsteen released Live/1975-85, an over-three-hours-and-a-half-long live compilation album consisting of 40 tracks recorded at various concerts between 1975 and 1985.
The set was produced by Jon Landau, Chuck Plotkin, and Bruce Springsteen, and hit the stores on 10 Nov 1986. It was released as a box set with either five vinyl records, three cassettes, or three CDs. Live/1975-85 is the first album to be credited to "Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band" instead of "Bruce Springsteen" only.
The highly-anticipated live album generated advance orders of more than 1.5 million copies, making it the largest dollar-volume pre-order in the history of the record business at the time. Record stores around the country found fans waiting in line on Monday morning before opening and one New York store reportedly sold the album right off the back of the delivery truck. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard album chart and also became the first five-record set to reach the top 10 and the first to sell over a million copies. Live/1975-85 is the second-best-selling live album in U.S. history based on RIAA certification. It has been certified by the RIAA for 13 times platinum, trailing only Garth Brooks' Double Live.
Side 1:
| 1. | THUNDER ROAD | Recorded live on 18 Oct 1975 at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA |
| 2. | ADAM RAISE A CAIN | Recorded live on 07 Jul 1978 at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA |
| 3. | SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT | Recorded live on 07 Jul 1978 at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA |
| 4. | 4TH OF JULY, ASBURY PARK (SANDY) | Recorded live on 31 Dec 1980 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY |
Side 2:
| 1. | PARADISE BY THE "C" | Recorded live on 07 Jul 1978 at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA |
| 2. | FIRE | Recorded live on 16 Dec 1978 at Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA |
| 3. | GROWIN' UP | Recorded live on 07 Jul 1978 at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA |
| 4. | IT'S HARD TO BE A SAINT IN THE CITY | Recorded live on 07 Jul 1978 at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA |
Side 3:
| 1. | BACKSTREETS | Recorded live on 07 Jul 1978 at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA |
| 2. | ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) | Recorded live on 07 Jul 1978 at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA |
| 3. | RAISE YOUR HAND | Recorded live on 07 Jul 1978 at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA |
Side 4:
| 1. | HUNGRY HEART | Recorded live on 28 Dec 1980 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY |
| 2. | TWO HEARTS | Recorded live on 08 Jul 1981 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ |
| 3. | CADILLAC RANCH | Recorded live on 06 Jul 1981 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ |
| 4. | YOU CAN LOOK (BUT YOU BETTER NOT TOUCH) | Recorded live on 29 Dec 1980 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY |
| 5. | INDEPENDENCE DAY | Recorded live on 06 Jul 1981 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ |
Side 5:
| 1. | BADLANDS | Recorded live on 05 Nov 1980 at Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ |
| 2. | BECAUSE THE NIGHT | Recorded live on 28 Dec 1980 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY |
| 3. | CANDY'S ROOM | Recorded live on 08 Jul 1981 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ |
| 4. | DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN | Recorded live on 29 Dec 1980 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY |
| 5. | RACING IN THE STREET | Recorded live on 06 Jul 1981 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ |
Side 6:
| 1. | THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND | Recorded live on 29 Dec 1980 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY |
| 2. | NEBRASKA | Recorded live on 06 Aug 1984 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ |
| 3. | JOHNNY 99 | Recorded live on 19 Aug 1985 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ |
| 4. | REASON TO BELIEVE | Recorded live on 19 Aug 1984 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ |
Side 7:
| 1. | BORN IN THE U.S.A. | Recorded live on 30 Sep 1985 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA |
| 2. | SEEDS | Recorded live on 30 Sep 1985 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA |
| 3. | THE RIVER | Recorded live on 30 Sep 1985 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA |
Side 8:
| 1. | WAR | Recorded live on 30 Sep 1985 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA |
| 2. | DARLINGTON COUNTY | Recorded live on 30 Sep 1985 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA |
| 3. | WORKING ON THE HIGHWAY | Recorded live on 19 Aug 1985 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ |
| 4. | THE PROMISED LAND | Recorded live on 30 Sep 1985 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA |
Side 9:
| 1. | COVER ME | Recorded live on 30 Sep 1985 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA |
| 2. | I'M ON FIRE | Recorded live on 19 Aug 1985 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ |
| 3. | BOBBY JEAN | Recorded live on 21 Aug 1985 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ |
| 4. | MY HOMETOWN | Recorded live on 30 Sep 1985 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA |
Side 10:
| 1. | BORN TO RUN | Recorded live on 19 Aug 1985 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ |
| 2. | NO SURRENDER | Recorded live on 06 Aug 1984 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ |
| 3. | TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT | Recorded live on 20 Aug 1984 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ |
| 4. | JERSEY GIRL | Recorded live on 09 Jul 1981 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ |
Disc 1:
| 01. | THUNDER ROAD | Recorded live on 18 Oct 1975 at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA |
| 02. | ADAM RAISE A CAIN | Recorded live on 07 Jul 1978 at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA |
| 03. | SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT | Recorded live on 07 Jul 1978 at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA |
| 04. | 4TH OF JULY, ASBURY PARK (SANDY) | Recorded live on 31 Dec 1980 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY |
| 05. | PARADISE BY THE "C" | Recorded live on 07 Jul 1978 at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA |
| 06. | FIRE | Recorded live on 16 Dec 1978 at Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA |
| 07 | GROWIN' UP | Recorded live on 07 Jul 1978 at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA |
| 08. | IT'S HARD TO BE A SAINT IN THE CITY | Recorded live on 07 Jul 1978 at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA |
| 09. | BACKSTREETS | Recorded live on 07 Jul 1978 at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA |
| 10. | ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) | Recorded live on 07 Jul 1978 at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA |
| 11. | RAISE YOUR HAND | Recorded live on 07 Jul 1978 at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA |
| 12. | HUNGRY HEART | Recorded live on 28 Dec 1980 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY |
| 13. | TWO HEARTS | Recorded live on 08 Jul 1981 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ |
Disc 2:
| 01. | CADILLAC RANCH | Recorded live on 06 Jul 1981 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ |
| 02. | YOU CAN LOOK (BUT YOU BETTER NOT TOUCH) | Recorded live on 29 Dec 1980 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY |
| 03. | INDEPENDENCE DAY | Recorded live on 06 Jul 1981 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ |
| 04. | BADLANDS | Recorded live on 05 Nov 1980 at Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ |
| 05. | BECAUSE THE NIGHT | Recorded live on 28 Dec 1980 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY |
| 06. | CANDY'S ROOM | Recorded live on 08 Jul 1981 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ |
| 07. | DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN | Recorded live on 29 Dec 1980 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY |
| 08. | RACING IN THE STREET | Recorded live on 06 Jul 1981 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ |
| 09. | THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND | Recorded live on 29 Dec 1980 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY |
| 10. | NEBRASKA | Recorded live on 06 Aug 1984 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ |
| 11. | JOHNNY 99 | Recorded live on 19 Aug 1985 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ |
| 12. | REASON TO BELIEVE | Recorded live on 19 Aug 1984 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ |
| 13. | BORN IN THE U.S.A. | Recorded live on 30 Sep 1985 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA |
| 14. | SEEDS | Recorded live on 30 Sep 1985 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA |
Disc 3:
| 01. | THE RIVER | Recorded live on 30 Sep 1985 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA |
| 02. | WAR | Recorded live on 30 Sep 1985 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA |
| 03. | DARLINGTON COUNTY | Recorded live on 30 Sep 1985 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA |
| 04. | WORKING ON THE HIGHWAY | Recorded live on 19 Aug 1985 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ |
| 05. | THE PROMISED LAND | Recorded live on 30 Sep 1985 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA |
| 06. | COVER ME | Recorded live on 30 Sep 1985 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA |
| 07. | I'M ON FIRE | Recorded live on 19 Aug 1985 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ |
| 08. | BOBBY JEAN | Recorded live on 21 Aug 1985 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ |
| 09. | MY HOMETOWN | Recorded live on 30 Sep 1985 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA |
| 10. | BORN TO RUN | Recorded live on 19 Aug 1985 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ |
| 11. | NO SURRENDER | Recorded live on 06 Aug 1984 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ |
| 12. | TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT | Recorded live on 20 Aug 1984 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ |
| 13. | JERSEY GIRL | Recorded live on 09 Jul 1981 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ |
The live 19 Aug 1984 version of BORN TO RUN was released as a single in Europe and Australia and also included on a number of other singles and maxi-singles.
Video Anthology / 1978-88 is a collection of 18 Bruce Springsteen music videos and concert performances, released on VHS on 31 Jan 1989. The home video was also released on LaserDisc.
Sonny reissued the video on DVD on 16 Jan 2001. Titled The Complete Video Anthology / 1978-2000, the new expanded release added a second disc with 15 additional music video, concert performances, and television appearances.
Disc 1:
Disc 2:
Japanese Singles Collection -Greatest Hits- is a Bruce Springsteen compilation album released by Sony Music Japan in 2023. The compilation, which was exclusively released in Japan, consists of previously released 35 audio tracks and 62 video tracks. The collection is part of a 26-title reissue campaign to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Bruce Springsteen's debut album. The series, issued in three waves (25 Oct 2023, 22 Nov 2023, and 20 Dec 2023), includes 25 albums originally released between 1973 and 2014 plus a new compilation album that includes all of Springsteen's singles released in Japan from 1975 to 1999. All audio CD's were manufactured using Sony Japan's Blu-spec CD2 format.
Disc 1: (audio CD)
Disc 2: (audio CD)
Disc 3: (DVD)
Disc 4: (DVD)
The live 19 Aug 1984 version of BORN TO RUN was also included on Live Collection II: Born To Run, a Japan-only EP released to promote the Live/1975-85 box set. The EP was released in both 12-inch vinyl and CD formats.
The live 19 Aug 1984 version of BORN TO RUN can also be found on six Bruce Springsteen Live/1975-85 samplers.
Please contact me if you have scans for or info about any official release containing the live 19 Aug 1985 version of BORN TO RUN that's not mentioned on this page. I also need scans for the following releases:
Any additions, comments, or corrections to this page are welcome. You can contact me via the below form or by email: .
List of available versions of BORN TO RUN on this website:
BORN TO RUN [Album version]
