DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN

Album version



[sample from THE LAST WORDS OF COPERNICUS]

Well, no cannonballs did fly, no rifles cut us down
No bombs fell from the sky, no blood soaked the ground
No powder flash blinded the eye, no deathly thunder sounded
But just as sure as the hand of God, they brought death to my hometown
They brought death to my hometown, boys

[sample from THE LAST WORDS OF COPERNICUS]

No shells ripped the evening sky, no cities burning down
No army stormed the shores for which we'd die, no dictators were crowned
I awoke from a quiet night, I never heard a sound
The marauders raided in the dark and brought death to my hometown, boys
Death to my hometown

[sample from THE LAST WORDS OF COPERNICUS]

They destroyed our families, factories, and they took our homes
They left our bodies on the plains, the vultures picked our bones

So listen up, my sonny boy, be ready for when they come
For they'll be returning sure as the rising sun
Now get yourself a song to sing and sing it 'til you're done
Yeah, sing it hard and sing it well
Send the robber barons straight to hell
The greedy thieves who came around
And ate the flesh of everything they found
Whose crimes have gone unpunished now
Who walk the streets as free men now

Ah, they brought death to our hometown, boys
Death to our hometown, boys
Death to our hometown, boys
Death to our hometown, whoa!

[sample from THE LAST WORDS OF COPERNICUS]


Info

DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN is a song written by Bruce Springsteen and released on his 2012 album Wrecking Ball. The above lyrics are for Bruce Springsteen's album version of DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN as released in 2012.


DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN debuted on 23 Feb 2012, streaming on PasteMagazine.com.

Writing and Recording

It has not yet been revealed when DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN was written or recorded, but it's probably in 2011. The line-up on this track includes Bruce Springsteen, Ron Aniello (backing vocals and more), Matt Chamberlain (drums and percussion), Kevin Buell (drums and backing vocals), Charles Giordano (B-3 organ), Rob Lebert (backing vocals), Art Baron (euphonium and/or tuba), Soozie Tyrell (violin), Ross Peterson (backing vocals), and Cliff Norrell (backing vocals).

The studio version of DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN contains excerpts from Alan Lomax's recording of THE LAST WORDS OF COPERNICUS. According to producer Ron Aniello, it was Springsteen who had the idea to use the Alan Lomax recordings on the album.

Wrecking Ball

Wrecking Ball is Bruce Springsteen's seventeenth studio album. It was produced by Ron Aniello with Bruce Springsteen and executive producer Jon Landau and features special guest appearances from Tom Morello and Matt Chamberlain. The album features 11 new Springsteen recordings and a special edition includes two bonus tracks. All 13 tracks are Springsteen compositions, three of which have previously been released as live versions.

In 2010-2011, before the album came together, Springsteen was originally working on another project. In a December 2013 interview for Rolling Stone, Ron Aniello told Andy Greene: "Those were about 30 or 40 songs. They were very unique for him, unlike anything I'd ever heard." It was on 09 Jan 2011 that Aniello first went to Colts Neck to help Springsteen finish arrangements for the project he was working on. Those songs would eventually become the core of Western Stars, which wasn't released until 2019.

After they had been working together for about a month, Springsteen wrote EASY MONEY which was a different style of song to what they've been working on before. He had also written JACK OF ALL TRADES, WE TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN, WRECKING BALL, SHACKLED AND DRAWN, and ROCKY GROUND. The latter two were originally written for a gospel film project he was working on and on which he spent on-and-off about a year. As Aniello told WCHR-FM's Tom Cunningham, "things just started steam rolling into this other record, you know, not sure what was going round in his mind." Springsteen was bringing in more songs, and it was evident that the direction of the music was changing. Jon Landau came in, listened to the music, and after a discussion with Springsteen they decided to do a new album. "Literally, this man bought in a new song every day. He just bulldozed us with these songs," Aniello explained.

Springsteen was coming in every morning with a new song and it would start with just him and his guitar. He would then sing a rhythm to Aniello or sit down at the drums and play a beat. Aniello was looping these drum beats – no drum machines were used on Wrecking Ball – and adding other layers, like loops of percussion, also played by Springsteen. According to Aniello, this was done just for convenience because they were alone in studio, songs were coming in quick, and there were no other musicians there. The loops stayed, and other instruments were added at later stages. "Ron brought a large library of sound that allowed me to explore – like maybe a hip-hop drum loop or country-blues stomp loop," Springsteen told Rolling Stone in 2012. "The actual drums came later. There was no preconceived set of instruments that needed to be used, I could go anywhere, do anything, use anything. It was very wide open." Everybody who was around was participating in the recording. They even jumped on pieces of plywood, built some risers to stomp on, and hit couches to makes noises.

Wrecking Ball was mainly recorded at Stone Hill Studio, Springsteen's home studio at his Colts Neck, NJ farmhouse. The album was released on Columbia Records on 05 Mar 2012 in the UK, 06 Mar 2012 in the United States, and 21 Mar 2012 in Japan.

Bruce Springsteen -- Wrecking Ball
Bruce Springsteen -- Wrecking Ball

Wrecking Ball was recorded with a large ensemble of musicians. There's a core of six musicians and the others were just guest artists. Some E Street Band members appear on a few of the tracks. According to Ron Aniello, the album credits are "a mess" and will be revised in future reissues.

  • Bruce Springsteen (lead vocals, guitars, banjo, piano, organ, drums, percussion, and loops) appears on all of the album's tracks.
  • Ron Aniello (guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, loops, percussion, hurdy gurdy, and backing vocals) appears on all of the album's tracks. He is also the album producer.
  • Matt Chamberlain (drums and percussion) is an American musician, drummer, producer, songwriter, and session player. He appears on track 3, track 5, and track 8.
  • Max Weinberg (drums) is a member of The E Street Band and appears on track 7, track 11, and track 13.
  • Steve Jordan (percussion) has previously appeared on Springsteen's Devils & Dust, playing drums and percussion. He appears on track 2.
  • Kevin Buell (drums and backing vocals) is Springsteen's guitar technician. He appears on track 5.
  • Charles Giordano (accordion, piano, B-3 organ, and celeste) recorded and toured with The Seeger Sessions Band and became an unofficial member of The E Street Band in 2008. He appears on most of the album's tracks.
  • Marc Muller (pedal steel guitar) is a multi-instrumentalist who mainly plays string instruments. He plays pedal steel guitar on track 3.
  • Tom Morello (electric guitar) appears on track 4 and track 6.
  • Greg Leisz (banjo, mandola, and lap steel) is a multi-instrumentalist, mainly playing lap and pedal steel guitars, guitar, mandolin, and bass. He appears on track 8 and track 11.
  • Rob Lebert (electric guitar and backing vocals) appears on track 5, track 7, track 8, track 12, and track 13.
  • Darrell Leonard (trumpet and bass trumpet) is a Los Angeles based trumpet player, composer and arranger. He appears on track 11.
  • Curt Ramm (trumpet and cornet) toured with The Seeger Sessions Band. He appears on track 3, track 4, track 7, track 8, track 9, and track 10.
  • Clark Gayton (trombone) toured with The Seeger Sessions Band. He appears on track 3, track 4, track 8, track 9, and track 10.
  • Stan Harrison (clarinet, alto sax, and tenor sax) has previously appeared on Springsteen's The Promise, playing tenor saxophone. He appears on track 3, track 4, track 8, track 9, and track 10.
  • Ed Manion (tenor sax and baritone sax) is a member of The Miami Horns and he toured with The E Street Band in 1988 and recorded and toured with The Seeger Sessions Band. He appears on track 3, track 4, track 8, track 9, and track 10.
  • Dan Levine (alto horn and euphonium) is a New York City based musician who plays several horn instruments. He appears on track 3, track 4, track 9, and track 10.
  • Art Baron (euphonium, tuba, sousaphone, and penny whistle) recorded and toured with The Seeger Sessions Band. He appears on track 3, track 4, track 5, track 9, and track 10.
  • Clarence Clemons (saxophone) was a member of The E Street Band and appears on track 7 and track 10.
  • Soozie Tyrell (violin and backing vocals) started touring with The E Street Band in 2002 and toured with The Seeger Sessions Band in 2006. She appears on most of the album's tracks.
  • Patti Scialfa (backing vocals and vocal arrangements) is Springsteen's wife and a member of The E Street Band since 1984. She appears on most of the album's tracks.
  • Lisa Lowell (backing vocals) has been singing backup vocals on several Springsteen albums since 1992 and recorded and toured with The Seeger Sessions Band. She appears on track 1, track 2, track 3, track 6, track 7, track 10, and track 12.
  • Cindy Mizelle (background vocals) toured with The Seeger Sessions Band and The E Street Band in 2009. She appears on track 3.
  • Ross Peterson (backing vocals) appears on track 3, track 5, track 7, track 8, track 12, and track 13.
  • Cliff Norrell (tuba and backing vocals) is the album's recording engineer. He appears on track 3, track 5, track 7, track 8, track 12, and track 13.
  • New York String Section (strings), also known as the New York Chamber Consort, consists of Rob Mathes (orchestration), Sandy Park (string contractor), Lisa Kim (concertmaster), Myumju Lee (violin), Ann Lehmaan (violin), Lizz Lim (violin), Johanna Marher (violin), Annaliesa Place (violin), Fiona Simon (violin), Sharon Yamada (violin), Jung Sun Yu (violin), Karen Dreyfus (viola), Daniel Panner (viola), Robert Rinehart (viola), Mina Smith (cello), and Alan Stepansky (cello). It appears on track 1, track 4, and track 7.
  • Victorious Gospel Choir (backing vocals) has previously appeared on Springsteen's The Rising. On Wrecking Ball, the choir includes Michelle Moore, Antoinette Savage, Corinda Carford, Tiffeny Andrews, Soloman Cobbs, and Lillie Brown. It appears on track 2, track 9, and track 10. Michelle Moore is credited separately on the three tracks. The remaining singers are credited individually on track 2, and as the Victorious Gospel Choir on track 9 and track 10.
  • Jeremy McCoy (bass violin) is an orchestral double bass player. He appears on track 12.
  • Dan Shelly (bassoon) is an orchestral bassoon player. He appears on track 12.
  • Mark Romatz (contrabassoon) is an orchestral bassoon player. He appears on track 12.
  • Steven Van Zandt (mandolin and backing vocals) is a member of The E Street Band. He appears on track 7, track 10, and track 13.

Wrecking Ball is available in three configurations: standard CD edition, special CD edition, and double-disc LP. The special CD edition features two bonus tracks and exclusive packaging. The double-disc LP is pressed on 180-gram vinyl and includes the standard CD edition of the album.

The album topped the charts in 16 countries, including the United States and the UK.

Country Chart Peak position
Australia Aria Top 50 Albums Chart 2
Austria Alben Top 75 1
Belgium Ultratop 50 Albums (Flanders) 1
Belgium Ultratop 50 Albums (Wallonia) 3
Canada Billboard Top Canadian Albums 3
Croatia Arhiva Kombiniranih (all artists chart) 1
Croatia Arhiva Stranih (foreign artists sub-chart) 1
Czech Republic ČNS IFPI - CZ Albums Top 100 4
Denmark Album 40 1
Finland Suomen Virallinen Albumilista 1
France Top 200 Albums 3
Germany Media Control Charts Top 100 Albums 1
Greece 24
Hong Kong 22
Hungary Top 40 Albums 2
Ireland Top 100 Individual Artist Albums 1
Israel 3
Italy Top 20 Albums 1
Japan Japan Hot 100 16
New Zealand Album Top 40 1
Norway VG Lista Topp 40 Album 1
Poland Poland Albums Top 50 10
Portugal Albums Top 30 4
Slovenia 3
Spain Album Top 100 1
Sweden Sverigetopplistan Albums Top 60 1
Switzerland Albums Top 100 1
The Netherlands GFK Dutch AlbumTop 100 1
UK Official UK Albums Top 100 1
USA Billboard 200 1

Other Official Releases

Other versions of DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN were also officially released.

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Apollo Theater 03/09/12
The live 09 Mar 2012 version of DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN was released on the Apollo Theater 03/09/12 official live download in 2014.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Gothenburg July 28, 2012
The live 28 Jul 2012 version of DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN was released on the Gothenburg July 28, 2012 official live download in 2020.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Olympiastadion, Helsinki July 31, 2012
The live 31 Jul 2012 version of DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN was released on the Olympiastadion, Helsinki July 31, 2012 official live download in 2017.
Bruce Springsteen -- East Rutherford, NJ 09.22.12
The live 22 Sep 2012 version of DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN was released on the East Rutherford, NJ 09.22.12 official live download in 2019.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- St. Paul, MN Nov 12, 2012
The live 12 Nov 2012 version of DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN was released on the St. Paul, MN Nov 12, 2012 official live download in 2020.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Ippodromo Delle Capannelle, Rome 2013
The live 11 Jul 2013 version of DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN was released on the Ippodromo Delle Capannelle, Rome 2013 official live download in 2015.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Leeds July 24, 2013
The live 24 Jul 2013 version of DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN was released on the Leeds July 24, 2013 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 18 versions of DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN.

  1. 26 Jan 2014 at Bellville Velodrome, Cape Town, South Africa
  2. 29 Jan 2014 at Bellville Velodrome, Cape Town, South Africa
  3. 01 Feb 2014 at FNB Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa
  4. 05 Feb 2014 at Perth Arena, Perth, Australia
  5. 07 Feb 2014 at Perth Arena, Perth, Australia
  6. 11 Feb 2014 at Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide, Australia
  7. 23 Feb 2014 at Hope Estate, Hunter Valley, Australia
  8. 01 Mar 2014 at Mt. Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand
  9. 02 Mar 2014 at Mt. Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand
  10. 08 Apr 2014 at U.S. Bank Arena, Cincinnati, OH
  11. 12 Apr 2014 at Farm Bureau Live At Virginia Beach, Virginia Beach, VA
  12. 15 Apr 2014 at Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH
  13. 17 Apr 2014 at Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN
  14. 19 Apr 2014 at Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC
  15. 26 Apr 2014 at Aaron's Amphitheatre At Lakewood, Atlanta, GA
  16. 06 May 2014 at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Houston, TX
  17. 13 May 2014 at Times Union Center, Albany, NY
  18. 14 May 2014 at Hersheypark Stadium, Hershey, PA
live.brucespringsteen.net
Audio recordings for all The River Tour 2016 shows were officially released on live.brucespringsteen.net. These include 23 versions of DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN.

  1. 17 Mar 2016 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  2. 27 May 2016 at Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland
  3. 29 May 2016 at Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland
  4. 01 Jun 2016 at Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland
  5. 03 Jun 2016 at Ricoh Arena, Coventry, England
  6. 05 Jun 2016 at Wembley Stadium, London, England
  7. 14 Jun 2016 at Malieveld, The Hague, The Netherlands
  8. 17 Jun 2016 at Olympiastadion, Munich, Germany
  9. 19 Jun 2016 at Olympiastadion, Berlin, Germany
  10. 22 Jun 2016 at Telia Parken, Copenhagen, Denmark
  11. 25 Jun 2016 at Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
  12. 29 Jun 2016 at Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway
  13. 03 Jul 2016 at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy
  14. 05 Jul 2016 at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy
  15. 09 Jul 2016 at Festivalpark, Werchter, Belgium
  16. 11 Jul 2016 at AccorHotels Arena, Paris, France
  17. 16 Jul 2016 at Circus Maximus, Rome, Italy
  18. 20 Jul 2016 at CASA Arena, Horsens, Denmark
  19. 26 Jul 2016 at Granåsen Arena, Trondheim, Norway
  20. 23 Aug 2016 at Metlife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  21. 25 Aug 2016 at Metlife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  22. 28 Aug 2016 at United Center, Chicago, IL
  23. 07 Sep 2016 at Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
live.brucespringsteen.net
Audio recordings for all the Summer '17 Tour shows were officially released on live.brucespringsteen.net. These include 7 versions of DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN.

  1. 25 Jan 2017 at Perth Arena, Perth, Australia
  2. 27 Jan 2017 at Perth Arena, Perth, Australia
  3. 30 Jan 2017 at Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide, Australia
  4. 02 Feb 2017 at AAMI Park, Melbourne, Australia
  5. 04 Feb 2017 at AAMI Park, Melbourne, Australia
  6. 09 Feb 2017 at Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, Australia
  7. 18 Feb 2017 at Hope Estate, Hunter Valley, Australia

Live History: on-tour

In preparation for the Wrecking Ball Tour, DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN is known to have been practiced during at least one of the private rehearsals that took place between January and March 2012 in Fort Monmouth, Trenton, and Asbury Park prior to the tour's first U.S. leg, during the private rehearsal that took place on 12 May 2012 in Seville, Spain prior to the tour's European leg, and during the private rehearsal that took place on 10 Sep 2013 in Santiago, Chile prior to the tour's South American leg.

  1. 12 Mar 2012 at Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ (private rehearsal)
  2. 12 May 2012 at Estadio Olimpico De La Cartuja, Seville, Spain (private rehearsal)
  3. 10 Sep 2013 at Movistar Arena, Santiago, Chile (private rehearsal)

DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN was performed 133 times during the Wrecking Ball Tour (133 dates, March 2012 to September 2013); that is each and every one of the tour's regular dates. On this tour, the song was played in its album arrangement. The live 28 Jul 2012 version of DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN was released on the Gothenburg July 28, 2012 official live download in 2020. The live 31 Jul 2012 version of DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN was released on the Olympiastadion, Helsinki July 31, 2012 official live download in 2017. The live 22 Sep 2012 version of DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN was released on the East Rutherford, NJ 09.22.12 official live download in 2019. The live 12 Nov 2012 version of DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN was released on the St. Paul, MN Nov 12, 2012 official live download in 2020. The live 11 Jul 2013 version of DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN was released on the Ippodromo Delle Capannelle, Rome 2013 official live download in 2015. The live 24 Jul 2013 version of DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN was released on the Leeds July 24, 2013 official live download in 2018.

  1. 18 Mar 2012 at Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
  2. 19 Mar 2012 at Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC
  3. 23 Mar 2012 at Tampa Bay Times Forum, Tampa, FL
  4. 26 Mar 2012 at TD Garden, Boston, MA
  5. 28 Mar 2012 at Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
  6. 29 Mar 2012 at Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
  7. 01 Apr 2012 at Verizon Center, Washington, DC
  8. 03 Apr 2012 at Izod Center, East Rutherford, NJ
  9. 04 Apr 2012 at Izod Center, East Rutherford, NJ
  10. 06 Apr 2012 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  11. 09 Apr 2012 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  12. 12 Apr 2012 at The Palace Of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, MI
  13. 13 Apr 2012 at First Niagara Center, Buffalo, NY
  14. 16 Apr 2012 at Times Union Center, Albany, NY
  15. 17 Apr 2012 at Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH
  16. 24 Apr 2012 at HP Pavilion At San Jose, San Jose, CA
  17. 26 Apr 2012 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  18. 27 Apr 2012 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  19. 29 Apr 2012 at New Orleans Fairgrounds, New Orleans, LA
  20. 02 May 2012 at Prudential Center, Newark, NJ
  21. 13 May 2012 at Estadio Olimpico De La Cartuja, Seville, Spain
  22. 15 May 2012 at Estadio De Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain
  23. 17 May 2012 at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Spain
  24. 18 May 2012 at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Spain
  25. 25 May 2012 at Commerzbank-Arena, Frankfurt, Germany
  26. 27 May 2012 at Rheinenergiestadion, Cologne, Germany
  27. 28 May 2012 at Megaland, Landgraaf, The Netherlands
  28. 30 May 2012 at Olympiastadion, Berlin, Germany
  29. 02 Jun 2012 at Estadio Anoeta, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
  30. 03 Jun 2012 at Bela Vista Park, Lisbon, Portugal
  31. 07 Jun 2012 at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy
  32. 10 Jun 2012 at Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence, Italy
  33. 11 Jun 2012 at Stadio Nereo Rocco, Trieste, Italy
  34. 17 Jun 2012 at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain
  35. 19 Jun 2012 at Park & Suites Arena, Montpellier, France
  36. 21 Jun 2012 at Stadium Of Light, Sunderland, England
  37. 22 Jun 2012 at Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England
  38. 24 Jun 2012 at Seaclose Park, Isle Of Wight, England
  39. 04 Jul 2012 at Palais Omnisports De Paris-Bercy, Paris, France
  40. 05 Jul 2012 at Palais Omnisports De Paris-Bercy, Paris, France
  41. 07 Jul 2012 at Festivalpladsen, Roskilde, Denmark
  42. 09 Jul 2012 at Letzigrund, Zurich, Switzerland
  43. 11 Jul 2012 at Synot Tip Arena, Prague, Czech Republic
  44. 12 Jul 2012 at Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria
  45. 14 Jul 2012 at Hyde Park, London, England
  46. 17 Jul 2012 at RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland
  47. 18 Jul 2012 at RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland
  48. 21 Jul 2012 at Valle Hovin Stadion, Oslo, Norway
  49. 23 Jul 2012 at Koengen, Bergen, Norway
  50. 24 Jul 2012 at Koengen, Bergen, Norway
  51. 27 Jul 2012 at Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
  52. 28 Jul 2012 at Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
  53. 31 Jul 2012 at Olympiastadion, Helsinki, Finland
  54. 14 Aug 2012 at Fenway Park, Boston, MA
  55. 15 Aug 2012 at Fenway Park, Boston, MA
  56. 18 Aug 2012 at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA
  57. 24 Aug 2012 at Rogers Centre, Toronto, Canada
  58. 26 Aug 2012 at Magnetic Hill, Moncton, Canada
  59. 29 Aug 2012 at Vernon Downs Raceway, Vernon, NY
  60. 02 Sep 2012 at Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
  61. 03 Sep 2012 at Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
  62. 07 Sep 2012 at Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
  63. 08 Sep 2012 at Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
  64. 14 Sep 2012 at Nationals Park, Washington, DC
  65. 19 Sep 2012 at Metlife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  66. 21 Sep 2012 at Metlife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  67. 22 Sep 2012 at Metlife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  68. 19 Oct 2012 at Scotiabank Place, Ottawa, Canada
  69. 21 Oct 2012 at Copps Coliseum, Hamilton, Canada
  70. 23 Oct 2012 at John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville, VA
  71. 25 Oct 2012 at XL Center, Hartford, CT
  72. 27 Oct 2012 at Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, PA
  73. 31 Oct 2012 at Blue Cross Arena At The War Memorial, Rochester, NY
  74. 01 Nov 2012 at Penn State University, University Park, PA
  75. 03 Nov 2012 at KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, KY
  76. 11 Nov 2012 at Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, MN
  77. 12 Nov 2012 at Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, MN
  78. 15 Nov 2012 at Centurylink Center, Omaha, NE
  79. 17 Nov 2012 at Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO
  80. 19 Nov 2012 at Pepsi Center, Denver, CO
  81. 26 Nov 2012 at Rogers Arena, Vancouver, Canada
  82. 28 Nov 2012 at Rose Garden, Portland, OR
  83. 30 Nov 2012 at Oracle Arena, Oakland, CA
  84. 04 Dec 2012 at Honda Center, Anaheim, CA
  85. 06 Dec 2012 at Jobing.com Arena, Glendale, AZ
  86. 10 Dec 2012 at Palacio De Los Deportes, Mexico City, Mexico
  87. 14 Mar 2013 at Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia
  88. 16 Mar 2013 at Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia
  89. 18 Mar 2013 at Allphones Arena, Sydney, Australia
  90. 20 Mar 2013 at Allphones Arena, Sydney, Australia
  91. 22 Mar 2013 at Allphones Arena, Sydney, Australia
  92. 24 Mar 2013 at Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia
  93. 26 Mar 2013 at Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia
  94. 27 Mar 2013 at Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia
  95. 30 Mar 2013 at Hanging Rock, Macedon, Australia
  96. 31 Mar 2013 at Hanging Rock, Macedon, Australia
  97. 29 Apr 2013 at Telenor Arena, Oslo, Norway
  98. 30 Apr 2013 at Telenor Arena, Oslo, Norway
  99. 03 May 2013 at Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden
  100. 04 May 2013 at Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden
  101. 07 May 2013 at HK Areena, Turku, Finland
  102. 08 May 2013 at HK Areena, Turku, Finland
  103. 11 May 2013 at Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden
  104. 14 May 2013 at Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark
  105. 16 May 2013 at Jyske Bank Boxen, Herning, Denmark
  106. 23 May 2013 at Piazza Del Plebiscito, Naples, Italy
  107. 26 May 2013 at Olympiastadion, Munich, Germany
  108. 28 May 2013 at AWD-Arena, Hannover, Germany
  109. 31 May 2013 at Stadio Euganeo, Padua, Italy
  110. 03 Jun 2013 at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy
  111. 15 Jun 2013 at Wembley Stadium, London, England
  112. 18 Jun 2013 at Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland
  113. 20 Jun 2013 at Ricoh Arena, Coventry, England
  114. 22 Jun 2013 at Goffertpark, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
  115. 26 Jun 2013 at Estadio Municipal El Molinón, Gijón, Spain
  116. 29 Jun 2013 at Stade De France, Saint-Denis, France
  117. 30 Jun 2013 at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London, England
  118. 03 Jul 2013 at Stade De Geneve, Geneve, Switzerland
  119. 05 Jul 2013 at Borussia-Park, Mönchengladbach, Germany
  120. 07 Jul 2013 at Red Bull Arena, Leipzig, Germany
  121. 11 Jul 2013 at Ippodromo Delle Capannelle, Rome, Italy
  122. 13 Jul 2013 at Festivalpark, Werchter, Belgium
  123. 16 Jul 2013 at Thomond Park, Limerick, Ireland
  124. 18 Jul 2013 at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork, Ireland
  125. 20 Jul 2013 at King's Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland
  126. 23 Jul 2013 at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales
  127. 24 Jul 2013 at First Direct Arena, Leeds, England
  128. 27 Jul 2013 at Nowlan Park, Kilkenny, Ireland
  129. 28 Jul 2013 at Nowlan Park, Kilkenny, Ireland
  130. 12 Sep 2013 at Movistar Arena, Santiago, Chile
  131. 14 Sep 2013 at Estadio G.E.B.A., Buenos Aires, Argentina
  132. 18 Sep 2013 at Espaço Das Américas, São Paulo, Brazil
  133. 21 Sep 2013 at Cidade Do Rock, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN was performed 21 times during the High Hopes Tour (34 dates, January to May 2014). On this tour, the song was played in its album arrangement. Audio recordings for most High Hopes Tour shows are officially available for purchase.

  1. 26 Jan 2014 at Bellville Velodrome, Cape Town, South Africa
  2. 29 Jan 2014 at Bellville Velodrome, Cape Town, South Africa
  3. 01 Feb 2014 at FNB Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa
  4. 05 Feb 2014 at Perth Arena, Perth, Australia
  5. 07 Feb 2014 at Perth Arena, Perth, Australia
  6. 11 Feb 2014 at Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide, Australia
  7. 16 Feb 2014 at AAMI Park, Melbourne, Australia
  8. 23 Feb 2014 at Hope Estate, Hunter Valley, Australia
  9. 01 Mar 2014 at Mt. Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand
  10. 02 Mar 2014 at Mt. Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand
  11. 06 Apr 2014 at Old Reunion Arena Site, Dallas, TX
  12. 08 Apr 2014 at U.S. Bank Arena, Cincinnati, OH
  13. 12 Apr 2014 at Farm Bureau Live At Virginia Beach, Virginia Beach, VA
  14. 15 Apr 2014 at Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH
  15. 17 Apr 2014 at Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN
  16. 19 Apr 2014 at Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC
  17. 26 Apr 2014 at Aaron's Amphitheatre At Lakewood, Atlanta, GA
  18. 03 May 2014 at New Orleans Fairgrounds, New Orleans, LA
  19. 06 May 2014 at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Houston, TX
  20. 13 May 2014 at Times Union Center, Albany, NY
  21. 14 May 2014 at Hersheypark Stadium, Hershey, PA

DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN was performed 23 times during The River Tour 2016 (75 dates, January to September 2016). On this tour, the song was played in its album arrangement. Audio recordings for all The River Tour 2016 shows are officially available for purchase.

  1. 17 Mar 2016 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  2. 27 May 2016 at Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland
  3. 29 May 2016 at Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland
  4. 01 Jun 2016 at Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland
  5. 03 Jun 2016 at Ricoh Arena, Coventry, England
  6. 05 Jun 2016 at Wembley Stadium, London, England
  7. 14 Jun 2016 at Malieveld, The Hague, The Netherlands
  8. 17 Jun 2016 at Olympiastadion, Munich, Germany
  9. 19 Jun 2016 at Olympiastadion, Berlin, Germany
  10. 22 Jun 2016 at Telia Parken, Copenhagen, Denmark
  11. 25 Jun 2016 at Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
  12. 29 Jun 2016 at Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway
  13. 03 Jul 2016 at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy
  14. 05 Jul 2016 at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy
  15. 09 Jul 2016 at Festivalpark, Werchter, Belgium
  16. 11 Jul 2016 at AccorHotels Arena, Paris, France
  17. 16 Jul 2016 at Circus Maximus, Rome, Italy
  18. 20 Jul 2016 at CASA Arena, Horsens, Denmark
  19. 26 Jul 2016 at Granåsen Arena, Trondheim, Norway
  20. 23 Aug 2016 at Metlife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  21. 25 Aug 2016 at Metlife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  22. 28 Aug 2016 at United Center, Chicago, IL
  23. 07 Sep 2016 at Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA

DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN was performed 7 times during the Summer '17 Tour (14 dates, January and February 2017). On this tour, the song was played in its album arrangement. Audio recordings for all Summer '17 Tour shows are officially available for purchase.

  1. 25 Jan 2017 at Perth Arena, Perth, Australia
  2. 27 Jan 2017 at Perth Arena, Perth, Australia
  3. 30 Jan 2017 at Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide, Australia
  4. 02 Feb 2017 at AAMI Park, Melbourne, Australia
  5. 04 Feb 2017 at AAMI Park, Melbourne, Australia
  6. 09 Feb 2017 at Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, Australia
  7. 18 Feb 2017 at Hope Estate, Hunter Valley, Australia

Live History: off-tour

DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN was performed off-tour on 02 Mar 2012 at Rockefeller Center in New York City, NY, during a TV appearance on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. The song was played in a full-band arrangement with the E Street Band and Tom Morello. See the live 02 Mar 2012 version for more details.

DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN was performed off-tour on 09 Mar 2012 at Apollo Theater in New York City, NY, during the Sirius Satellite Radio 10-year anniversary celebration. The song was played with the E Street Band. The live 09 Mar 2012 version of DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN was released on the Apollo Theater 03/09/12 official live download in 2014.

DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN was performed off-tour on 15 Mar 2012 at Moody Theater in Austin, TX, during the South By Southwest music festival. The song was played with the E Street Band and Tom Morello.

DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN was performed off-tour on 08 Feb 2013 at Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, CA, during the 2013 MusiCares Person Of The Year ceremony.

  1. 02 Mar 2012 at Rockefeller Center, New York City, NY
  2. 09 Mar 2012 at Apollo Theater, New York City, NY
  3. 15 Mar 2012 at Moody Theater, Austin, TX
  4. 08 Feb 2013 at Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, CA

Covers

At least one artist has recorded and released Bruce Springsteen's DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN.

JP & The Seeger Session Band -- The Freedom Express Tour
JP & The Seeger Session Band -- The Freedom Express Tour

CD + DVD - no label (JPSSB003) - Holland, 2016

This is a live Bruce Springsteen tribute album.

Credits

Thanks Frank M for the lyrics corrections.

Request

If you have any corrections or additional info, please contact me via the below form or by email: .

Available Versions

List of available versions of DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN on this website:

DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN [Album version]
DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN [Live 02 Mar 2012 version]
DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN [Live 09 Mar 2012 version]
DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN [Live 28 Jul 2012 version]

Page last updated: 04 Apr 2020