FACTORY

Album version



Early in the morning factory whistle blows
Man rises from bed and puts on his clothes
Man takes his lunch, walks out in the morning light
It's the working, the working, just the working life

Through the mansions of fear, through the mansions of pain
I see my daddy walking through them factory gates in the rain
Factory takes his hearing, factory gives him life
The working, the working, just the working life

End of the day, factory whistle cries
Men walk through these gates with death in their eyes
And you just better believe, boy, somebody's gonna get hurt tonight
It's the working, the working, just the working life
Cause it's the working, the working, just the working life


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Info

FACTORY is a song written by Bruce Springsteen and released on his 1978 album Darkness On The Edge Of Town. The above lyrics are for Bruce Springsteen's album version of FACTORY as released in 1978.


Writing and Recording

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Circulating Studio Versions

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Darkness On The Edge Of Town

Despite the marvelous reception received by both Born To Run and the tour which followed, the relationship between Bruce Springsteen and his now former manager and producer Mike Appel was deteriorating. In July 1976 the storm broke; Mike Appel wrote to Springsteen saying that he would not allow Jon Landau (Springsteen's friend and co-producer of Born To Run) to produce the next album, citing a particular paragraph from their original agreement. Bruce replied on 27 Jul 1976 by firing manager Mike Appel and suing him and his management company Laurel Canyon Ltd. in Federal Court in Manhattan, claiming fraud, breach of trust, and undue influence. Appel countersued on 29 Jul 1976 in New York State Supreme Court, asking the court to prohibit Springsteen and Jon Landau from working together in studio. Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band were slated to enter the studio that year for the recording of a new album, except that on 15 Sep 1976 the judge in the lawsuits case ruled that Springsteen was enjoined from any further recording with Columbia Records until Appel's suit was resolved. This would drag for about a year.

Meanwhile, Springsteen continued gigging, and in the process broke his self-imposed rule of not playing the larger arenas. This was basically because he was not able to put a record out, and it was the only way his fans would be able to hear him at all.

Bruce Springsteen reached a final settlement in his yearlong litigation with Mike Appel on 28 May 1977. Effectively this meant that for the first time in a year Springsteen was able to go into a studio and record. The Darkness On The Edge Of Town recording sessions kicked off in early June 1977 at Atlantic Studios in New York City, NY, and later shifted to The Record Plant in New York City, NY. Springsteen had a considerable amount of new material, but the songs were in various stages of writing completion. Consequently many of the songs were shaped over the course of numerous sessions spanning several months.

The sessions at Atlantic Studios were only two or three weeks old when problems surfaced. Springsteen didn't like the sound he was getting from the studio, particularly the drums. On top of that Atlantic Studios did not offer a particularly comfortable or livable environment for the musicians. A decision was taken to shift operations to the nearby Record Plant where most of the Born To Run album had been recorded. However financial commitments to Atlantic Studios were already made, and on such short notice it was hard to find un-booked studio time at the popular Record Plant. Consequently the Jul-Aug 1977 period saw Springsteen and the band recording at both studios, but mostly Atlantic Studios. From September to late December, all the recording seems to have taken place at The Record Plant, where all the recordings issued on the original album emanate from.

The actual recording sessions for Darkness On The Edge Of Town were completed by early January 1978. The mixing sessions began in early January 1978 and dragged on until late March. There was a tremendous amount of different mixes considered, with Springsteen changing his mind on the mix of THE PROMISED LAND as late as early April.

Darkness On The Edge Of Town was released on Columbia Records on 02 Jun 1978. It was produced by Bruce Springsteen and Jon Landau.

Bruce Springsteen -- Darkness On The Edge Of Town
Bruce Springsteen -- Darkness On The Edge Of Town

The album features 10 new Springsteen compositions and clocks at 42:55.

Darkness On The Edge Of Town track list:

Side 1 (vinyl LP format):

  1. BADLANDS
  2. ADAM RAISED A CAIN
  3. SOMETHING IN THE NIGHT
  4. CANDY'S ROOM
  5. RACING IN THE STREET

Side 2 (vinyl LP format):

  1. THE PROMISED LAND
  2. FACTORY
  3. STREETS OF FIRE
  4. PROVE IT ALL NIGHT
  5. DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN

Single Release

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Bruce Springsteen -- Prove It All Night
Bruce Springsteen -- Prove It All Night

7" single - CBS / Sony (06SP 232) - Japan, 1978

Comes with a picture insert. Promotional copies are identical to the commercial ones with the exception of "NOT FOR SALE / SAMPLE" (in Japanese) imprint above the catalogue number on the labels and the labels are white instead of orange.

A1- PROVE IT ALL NIGHT
B1- FACTORY

Other Official Releases

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Other versions of FACTORY were also officially released.

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- The Agora, Cleveland 1978
The live 09 Aug 1978 version of FACTORY was released on The Agora, Cleveland 1978 official live download in 2014.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Winterland 12/15/78
The live 15 Dec 1978 version of FACTORY was released on the Winterland 12/15/78 official live download in 2019.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Arizona State University, Tempe 1980
The live 05 Nov 1980 version of FACTORY was released on the Arizona State University, Tempe 1980 official live download in 2015.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Nassau Coliseum, New York 12/29/80
The live 29 Dec 1980 version of FACTORY was released on the Nassau Coliseum, New York 12/29/80 official live download in 2019.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- First Union Center, Philadelphia September 25, 1999
The live 25 Sep 1999 version of FACTORY was released on the First Union Center, Philadelphia September 25, 1999 official live download in 2020.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Los Angeles October 23, 1999
The live 23 Oct 1999 version of FACTORY was released on the Los Angeles October 23, 1999 official live download in 2019.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Madison Square Garden, New York 06/27/2000
The live 27 Jun 2000 version of FACTORY was released on the Madison Square Garden, New York 06/27/2000 official live download in 2021.
Bruce Springsteen -- The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story
The live 13 Dec 2010 version of FACTORY was released on The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story box set in 2010.

Live History: on-tour

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Live History: off-tour

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FACTORY was performed off-tour on 13 Dec 2009 at Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park, NJ, during the taping of Darkness On The Edge Of Town, Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park 2009 homes video, which was included on The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story box set in 2010. See the live 13 Dec 2010 version for more details.

Covers

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At least 19 artists have recorded and released Bruce Springsteen's FACTORY.

Theu Boermans & "De Groep" -- Asfalt Gigolo
Theu Boermans & "De Groep" -- Asfalt Gigolo

LP - EMI (058-26488) - Holland, 1980

Includes two Bruce Springsteen covers: 4TH OF JULY, ASBURY PARK (SANDY) and FACTORY. FACTORY is a Dutch adaptation titled "Fabriek".
Ostbahn-Kurti & Die Chefpartie -- Liagn & Lochn
Ostbahn-Kurti & Die Chefpartie -- Liagn & Lochn

LP - Amadeo (841 122-1) - Austria, 1989
CD - Amadeo (841 122-2) - Austria, 1989

Includes two Bruce Springsteen covers: FACTORY and ONE STEP UP. FACTORY is a German adaptation titled "Arbeit".
Various artists -- For You: A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen
Various artists -- For You: A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen

CD - Totem Records (TTM 480499 2) - Italy, 1995

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album. FACTORY is performed by Circo Fantasma.
Luigi Mariano e La Banda di Tom Joad -- Demo Luglio 2007
Luigi Mariano e La Banda di Tom Joad -- Demo Luglio 2007

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

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute EP.
Lorenzo Bertocchini -- Hearts Of Stone: Some Bruce Springsteen Songs
Lorenzo Bertocchini -- Hearts Of Stone: Some Bruce Springsteen Songs

CD - no label (GOMB 16) - Italy, 2009

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Le Voci Del Tempo -- Il Mio Nome È Joe Roberts
Le Voci Del Tempo -- Il Mio Nome È Joe Roberts

CD - Pubblico-08 (no catalog number) - Italy, 2010

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Various artists -- For You 2: A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen
Various artists -- For You 2: A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen

2xCD - Route 66 Music (DTCDA005-2) - Italy, 2010

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album. FACTORY is performed by Daniele Tenca.
Daniele Tenca -- Live For The Working Class
Daniele Tenca -- Live For The Working Class

CD - Route 61 Music (RT612011002) - Italy, 2011

This is a live album.
Martyn Joseph -- Tires Rushing By In The Rain
Martyn Joseph -- Tires Rushing By In The Rain

CD - Pipe Records (PRCD023) - UK, 2013

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Sergio Gisbert -- Loose Ends: A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen's 78-80 Era
Sergio Gisbert -- Loose Ends: A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen's 78-80 Era

CD - no label (no catalog number) - Spain, 2014

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Spirit -- A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen
Spirit -- A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen

Digital album - Rapier Music (unknown catalog number) - UK, 2014

This is a download-only digital Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Hungry Hearts -- Darkness Night
Hungry Hearts -- Darkness Night

Digital album - no label (no catalog number) - Italy, 2015

This is a download-only digital live Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Rob Hirsch -- A Tribute To The Boss
Rob Hirsch -- A Tribute To The Boss

CD - no label (no catalog number) - Austria, 2015

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Lorenzo "FullG" Bianchi -- Via Emilia Shuffle
Lorenzo "FullG" Bianchi -- Via Emilia Shuffle

CD - no label (no catalog number) - Italy, 2016

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Various artists -- The Boss Project: The Songs Of Bruce Springsteen
Various artists -- The Boss Project: The Songs Of Bruce Springsteen

Digital album - no label (no catalog number) - Canada, 2016

This is a free download-only digital Bruce Springsteen tribute album. FACTORY is performed by Jeremy Eisenhauer.
Graziano Romani -- Soul Crusader Again: The Songs Of Bruce Springsteen
Graziano Romani -- Soul Crusader Again: The Songs Of Bruce Springsteen

CD - Route 66 Music (RT612017004) - Italy, 2017

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Alyssa Hankey -- Springsteen Covers
Alyssa Hankey -- Springsteen Covers

CD - no label (no catalog number) - USA, 2018

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
The Bruceband -- 40th Anniversary - Bruce Springsteen's Darkness On The Edge of Town
The Bruceband -- 40th Anniversary - Bruce Springsteen's Darkness On The Edge of Town

CD - no label (no catalog number) - Holland, 2018

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
David Furtado -- Tribute to Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
David Furtado -- Tribute to Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band

Digital album - no label (no catalog number) - Portugal, 2020

This is a download-only digital Bruce Springsteen tribute album.

Available Versions

List of available versions of FACTORY on this website:

FACTORY [Album version]
FACTORY [Outtake version 1]
FACTORY [Outtake version 2]
FACTORY [live 1978-1981 version]
FACTORY [Live 13 Dec 2009 version]
FACTORY [live 1999 version]

Page last updated: 06 Nov 2016