15 Thought-Provoking Bruce Springsteen Quotes That Demonstrate His Brilliance

In last year’s Thought Catalog post, I emphasized 11 insightful quotes from Bruce Springsteen. The boss of bosses. And now, it’s take two. Here, I bring you 15 more of his poignant and touching and thought-provoking lines.

1. You were not quite half so proud when I found you broken on the beach
Remember how I poured salt on your tongue and hung just out of reach
And the band, they played the homecoming theme as I caressed your cheek
That ragged, jagged melody, she still clings to me like a leech
— “For You,” Greetings From Asbury Park

2. Sandy, the angels have lost their desire for us
I spoke to ’em just last night and they said they won’t
set themselves on fire for us anymore
— “Sandy,” The Wild, the Innocent & the E-Street Shuffle

3. He tried sellin’ his heart to the hard girls over on Easy Street
But they said, ‘Johnny, it falls apart so easily, and you know hearts these days are cheap.’
— “Incident on 57th Street,” The Wild, the Innocent & the E-Street Shuffle

4. There were ghosts in the eyes
Of all the boys you sent away
They haunt this dusty beach road
In the skeleton frames of burned out Chevrolets
— “Thunder Road,” Born To Run

5. Blame it on the lies that killed us
Blame it on the truth that ran us down
— “Backstreets,” Born To Run

6. Beneath the city, two hearts beat
Soul engines running through a night so tender
— Jungleland, “Born To Run”

7. For all the shut-down strangers and hot rod angels
Rumbling through this promised land
Tonight my baby and me, we’re gonna ride to the sea
And wash these sins off our hands
— “Racing In The Street,” Darkness On The Edge Of Town

8. I don’t know what it always was with us
We chose the words, and yeah, we drew the lines
There was just no way this house could hold the two of us
I guess that we were just too much of the same kind
— “Independence Day,” The River

9. But I remember us riding in my brother’s car
Her body tan and wet down at the reservoir
At night on them banks I’d lie awake
And pull her close just to feel each breath she’d take
Now those memories come back to haunt me
They haunt me like a curse
Is a dream a lie if it don’t come true
Or is it something worse
That sends me down to the river
Though I know the river is dry
— “The River,” The River

10. Everything dies baby that’s a fact
But maybe everything that dies someday comes back
—Atlantic City, Nebraska

11. 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
— “No Surrender,” Born In The U.S.A

12. Girl in white outside a church in June
But the church bells, they ain’t ringing
I’m sittin’ here in this bar tonight
But all I’m thinkin’ is
I’m the same old story, same old act
One step up and two steps back
— “One Step,” Tunnel Of Love

13. Now you play the loving woman
I’ll play the faithful man
But just don’t look too close
Into the palm of my hand
We stood at the alter
The gypsy swore our future was right
But come the wee wee hours
Well maybe, baby, the gypsy lied
So when you look at me
You better look hard and look twice
Is that me baby
Or just a brilliant disguise
—Brilliant Disguise, Tunnel Of Love

14. Strength is vanity and time is illusion
I feel you breathin’, the rest is confusion
Your skin touches mine, what else to explain
I am the hunter of invisible game
— “Hunter Of Invisible Game,” High Hopes

15. Is it a gun, is it a knife
Is it a wallet, this is your life
It ain’t no secret
No secret my friend
You can get killed just for living in
You can get killed just for living in your American Skin
— “American Skin” (41 Shots), High Hopes