NO SURRENDER 
Album version
(Ohhhh)
(Ohhhh)
(Ohhhh)
(Ohhhh)
Well we busted out of class
Had to get away from those fools
We learned more from a three-minute record
Baby, than we ever learned in school
Tonight I hear the neighborhood drummer sound
I can feel my heart begin to pound
You say you're tired and you just wanna close your eyes
And follow your dreams down
Well we made a promise we swore we'd always remember
No retreat, baby, no surrender
Like soldiers in the winter's night with a vow to defend
No retreat, baby, no surrender
Well now young faces grow sad and old
And hearts of fire grow cold
We swore blood brothers against the wind
I'm ready to grow young again
And hear your sister's voice calling us home
Across the open yards
Well maybe we could cut someplace of our own
With these drums and these guitars
'Cause we made a promise we swore we'd always remember
No retreat, baby, no surrender
Blood brothers in the stormy night with a vow to defend
No retreat, baby, no surrender
Hey!
(Lalala...)
(Lalala...)
(Lalala...)
(Lalala...)
Now on the street tonight the lights grow dim
The walls of my room are closing in
There's a war outside still raging
you say it ain't ours anymore to win
I wanna sleep beneath peaceful skies in my lover's bed
With a wide open country in my eyes
And these romantic dreams in my head
Because we made a promise we swore we'd always remember
No retreat, baby, no surrender
Blood brothers in the stormy night with a vow to defend
No retreat, baby, no surrender
No retreat, baby, no surrender
(Ohhhh)
(Ohhhh)
(Ohhhh)
(Ohhhh)
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Info
NO SURRENDER is a song written by Bruce Springsteen and released on his 1984 album Born In The U.S.A.. The above lyrics are for Bruce Springsteen's album version of NO SURRENDER as released in 1984.
Writing and Recording
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The studio version that was released on Born In The USA was recorded October 25-27, 1983 at the Hit Factory in New York City, NY according to studio logs. On the album version, Richie "La Bamba" Rosenberg contributes background vocals. Springsteen would return on November 29, 1983 to cut an acoustic version that isn't circulating. Springsteen would perform the same solo acoustic version on the Born In The USA tour.
NO SURRENDER almost didn't make the album; it was added only after Steve Van Zandt convinced Springsteen that it should be included. At the time CBS had an eleven-song album without NO SURRENDER ready to go. Van Zandt argued that DANCING IN THE DARK should be cut in favor of NO SURRENDER, but in the end there was space for both.
Born In The U.S.A.
Born In The U.S.A. is Bruce Springsteen's seventh studio album. It was released on 04 Jun 1984 on Columbia Records. It was recorded between January 1982 and February 1984 at The Hit Factory and The Power Station in New York City, NY.
Bruce Springsteen -- Born In The U.S.A.
The album features 12 tracks and clocks at 46:57. It is produced by produced by Jon Landau, Chuck Plotkin, Bruce Springsteen, and Steven Van Zandt.
Other Official Releases
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Bruce Springsteen / Little Steven -- Born In The U.S.A. / Voice Of America
LP - AFRTS (unknown catalog number) - USA, 1984
US-only LP distributed by the U.S. military's "Armed Forces Radio And Television Service" for library rental at overseas Army bases. Side one contains four tracks from Springsteen's
Born In The U.S.A. album and side two contains four tracks from Steven Van Zandt's
Voice Of America album. The disc comes in a plain cardboard sleeve.
Bruce Springsteen -- Bruce Springsteen
CD - Sony (XDDP 93084) - Japan, 1992
Japan-only promotional CD sampler compiling 16 tracks from Springsteen's studio albums up to 1992.
Bruce Springsteen -- A Whole Bunch Of Bruce Springsteen
MC - Sony (XCTS 92005) - Japan, 1992
Japan-only promotional cassette tape sampler compiling 12 tracks from Springsteen's studio albums up to 1992.
Bruce Springsteen -- Bruce Springsteen (1984 - 1993)
CD-R - Sony (no catalog number) - Japan, 2005
Japan-only promotional "Digest" CD-R advance sampler tying in with the release of the second batch of the Japanese 2005 "mini-LP"-style Springsteen CD album reissues. This disc comes in a plain slimline jewel case with no artwork.
Other versions of NO SURRENDER were also officially released.
The live 05 Aug 1984 version of NO SURRENDER was released on the Brendan Byrne Arena, New Jersey 1984 official live download in 2015.
The live 20 Aug 1984 version of NO SURRENDER was released on the Brendan Byrne Arena, NJ August 20, 1984 official live download in 2015.
The live 16 Jun 2003 version of NO SURRENDER was released on the Helsinki June 16, 2003 official live download in 2018.
The live 22 Apr 2008 version of NO SURRENDER was released on the St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa, FL, April 22, 2008 official live download in 2019.
The live 04 May 2009 version of NO SURRENDER was released on the Nassau Coliseum 05.04.09 official live download in 2020.
The live 20 Oct 2009 version of NO SURRENDER was released on the Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 10/20/09 official live download in 2017.
The live 08 Nov 2009 version of NO SURRENDER was released on the MSG Nov 08, 2009 official live download in 2018.
The live 12 Nov 2012 version of NO SURRENDER was released on the St. Paul, MN Nov 12, 2012 official live download in 2020.
The live 24 Jul 2013 version of NO SURRENDER was released on the Leeds July 24, 2013 official live download in 2018.
Live History: on-tour
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Live History: off-tour
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Covers
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At least 16 artists have recorded and released Bruce Springsteen's NO SURRENDER.
Various artists -- For You: A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen
CD - Totem Records (TTM 480499 2) - Italy, 1995
This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album. NO SURRENDER is performed by Patrizio Sepe and The Chain Gang.
Andrew Nicholson -- Lost Highway: A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen
CD - no label (no catalog number) - UK, 2008
This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Tom Brooksby -- Brooksby Does Bruce
CD - unknown label (unknown catalog number) - UK, 2009
This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Various artists -- Play Some Pool, Skip Some School, Act Real Cool: A Global Pop Tribute To Bruce Springsteen
2xCD - Where It's At Is Where You Are (WIACD20) - UK, 2009
This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album. NO SURRENDER is performed by The Violence Jack Off.
Frans Pollux -- Pollux Duit Springsteen
CD - hippoproducties (no catalog number) - Holland, 2012
2xLP - unknown label (unknown catalog number) - Holland, 2022
This is a live Bruce Springsteen tribute album. All songs are in Dutch. The album was reissued on vinyl in 2022, with three additional tracks and completely different artwork. NO SURRENDER is a Dutch version titled "Noëit Verlaere".
The Boss Tribute To Springsteen -- Jelling Musikfestival 2012
Digital album - Next2Live (unknown catalog number) - Denmark, 2012
This is a download-only digital live Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Martyn Joseph -- Tires Rushing By In The Rain
CD - Pipe Records (PRCD023) - UK, 2013
This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Various artists -- Bruce Springsteen Tribute (Rauch Auf Dem Wasser - Edition)
CD - Coaast TMP (no catalog number) - Germany, 2014
This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album. NO SURRENDER is performed by The German Boss & Friends.
Various artists -- Dead Man's Town: A Tribute To Born In The U.S.A.
LP - Lightning Rod Records (LRR25523) - USA, 2014
CD - Lightning Rod Records (LRR25523) - USA, 2014
This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album. NO SURRENDER is performed by Holly Williams.
Himalayan Bear -- Moonlight And Rain: Two
Digital EP - no label (no catalog number) - Canada, 2015
This is a download-only digital Bruce Springsteen tribute EP.
Rob Hirsch -- A Tribute To The Boss
CD - no label (no catalog number) - Austria, 2015
This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
The Cheap Dates -- Loose Springsteen
Digital album - no label (no catalog number) - USA, 2015
This is a download-only digital Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
The Waybacks & Friends -- Merlefest Hillside Album Hour 2015: Back In The U.S.A.
CD - no label (no catalog number) - USA, 2016
This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Heaven Is Shining -- Born In The USA
Digital album - Rosenklang (unknown catalog number) - Germany, 2021
This is a download-only digital Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
The Bruceband -- Born In The U.S.A. Live
Digital album - Dr K Music (no catalog number) - Holland, 2021
This is a download-only digital live Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
The Boss Brothers -- Live
Digital album - 729285 Records DK (no catalog number) - The Netherlands, 2023
This is a download-only digital live Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Available Versions
List of available versions of NO SURRENDER on this website:
NO SURRENDER [Album version]
NO SURRENDER [Live 06 Aug 1984 version]
NO SURRENDER [Live 08 Aug 1984 version]
NO SURRENDER [Live 01 Nov 2004 version]
Page last updated: 28 Aug 2017
