"I'm Goin' Down" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Single by Bruce Springsteen | ||||
from the album Born in the U.S.A. | ||||
B-side | ||||
Released | August 27, 1985 | |||
Recorded | May 12–13, 1982 | |||
Studio | Power Station, New York City | |||
Genre | Rock | |||
Length | 3:29 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Songwriter(s) | Bruce Springsteen | |||
Producer(s) |
| |||
Bruce Springsteen singles chronology | ||||
|
"I'm Goin' Down" is a rock song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen. It was released on August 27, 1985 by Columbia Records as the sixth single from his 1984 album Born in the U.S.A. The song was recorded with the E Street Band in May 1982 at Power Station studio in New York City, and co-produced by Springsteen, Jon Landau, Chuck Plotkin, and Steve Van Zandt. Although Springsteen had changing ideas about the songs to put on the album, "I'm Goin' Down" was ultimately selected for inclusion.
The recording is based on an energetic band performance that gives prominence to a heavy drum sound. The lyrics focus on sexual frustration in a deteriorating relationship. The single reached No. 9 on both Billboard and Cash Box and top 30 in Sweden, Italy, and Canada. On the album's release, it was praised by critics for the band's musicianship and Springsteen's vocals and lyrics. Later it received favorable rankings in retrospectives of Springsteen's career, among which was an NME list calling it his fourth best song.
Springsteen has not often performed the song since the Born in the U.S.A. Tour. Between 2002 and 2023, it appeared on about 6.5 percent of the set lists published on his official website. "I'm Goin' Down" has been covered by Frank Black and the Catholics, Trampled by Turtles, Free Energy, Vampire Weekend, and other artists.
Background and recording
[edit]![Singer Bruce Springsteen shown from the waist up and singing while holding a microphone to his mouth](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Springsteen_05051981_01_200.jpg)
Bruce Springsteen's fifth album, The River, was released in October 1980 and reached No. 1 in the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart.[1] His follow-up, Nebraska, began as a series of solo demo recordings, of which fifteen songs were mixed onto a cassette on January 3, 1982.[2][3] That April, he began recording sessions at the Power Station music studio in New York City with the E Street Band[4][5]—whose line-up then consisted of Roy Bittan, Clarence Clemons, Danny Federici, Garry Tallent, Steve Van Zandt, and Max Weinberg—with production by Springsteen, Van Zandt, Jon Landau, and Chuck Plotkin.[6]
He at first recorded a number of full-band versions of Nebraska songs, including "Atlantic City", "Nebraska", and "Mansion on the Hill".[7] However, he and his co-producers were dissatisfied with the recordings.[7] To buy time to decide on the best approach for these songs, by May 1982 the band had begun to record other material he had written.[7] "I'm Goin' Down" was recorded over May 12–13,[6][8] with Toby Scott as the audio engineer, and Billy Straus one of his assistants.[6] In 2012, Clinton Heylin wrote that throughout the ten recorded takes of the song, Springsteen let the band "vamp away, only to curtail them in the final mix".[8] Eventually, Springsteen released ten of the solo recordings from the January cassette as the Nebraska album,[9] which came out in September 1982,[10] and temporarily shelved "I'm Goin' Down" and other band tracks from May.[11][n 1]
In 1983, he recorded more songs with the E Street Band, but was considering using solo tracks for his next album, which eventually became Born in the U.S.A., as he had done for Nebraska.[15] By the following year, Landau and Plotkin had convinced Springsteen to release band tracks, including several from May 1982 and a number of subsequently recorded songs.[13][16] At one point, Springsteen was not going to include "I'm Goin' Down" on Born in the U.S.A., but later added it in place of "Pink Cadillac",[17][18] which he used as the B-side for "Dancing in the Dark".[18]
Music, lyrics, and themes
[edit]Music
[edit]A rock song,[20] "I'm Goin' Down" is described by Uncut contributor John Lewis as having a country music influence, and "sound[ing] in places like Johnny Cash".[21] For other critics, the song contains rockabilly elements.[22][23] It begins with a short two-phrase guitar line,[6] followed by Weinberg's heavy drum beat,[19] one of the most prominent components in the song.[6][23] Music biographers Jean-Michel Guesdon and Philippe Margotin have commented on Bob Clearmountain's "signature" mixing of the track that makes the snare drum sound "[crack] like a whip".[6] These instruments are supplemented by bass by Tallent, a Hammond B-3 organ part by Federici, and piano by Bittan.[6] The song additionally includes a tenor saxophone solo by Clemons,[6][24] and hand-clapping by the band.[6][20] The music is based on a descending chord progression of A ("I'm goin")–E ("down, down down")–F♯m ("down, I'm goin")–D ("down"),[25] which is played throughout the track, while the bass guitar plays around the root of E.[26]
Lyrics and themes
[edit]Reviewers have commented on the contrast between the song's upbeat music and sad lyrics.[24][27][28] The song explores themes of sexual or romantic frustration,[29][30][31] loneliness,[29] and grief resulting from unsuccessful relationships.[20][32] Some reviewers have found humor in the lyrics,[19][30] which describe incidents such as the narrator's girlfriend rejecting his attempts at intimacy and sighing with boredom, as well as the couple returning home fighting after a date.[27] In concert, Springsteen has described "I'm Goin' Down" in jest as "one of my more insightful songs about men and women".[33] In live performances from 1984, he sometimes used variations of the following introduction for the song: "[First] you're making love to 'em all the time, three or four times a day. Then you come back a little bit later, and, uh-oh ... it's like 'Are you gonna make love to me tonight, or are we gonna wait for the full moon again', y'know?"[34][35]
In researcher Pamela Moss's feminist analysis of social class and gender in Springsteen's lyrics, she describes the singer's early-to-mid-1980s oeuvre as being filled with despair.[36] Moss states that within this context, men fault women for not helping them achieve their dream of finding "a promised land".[37] In "I'm Goin' Down", with the "deterioration of a desirable sexual relationship [the narrator] feels he is being 'set up' by the woman just so she will be able to reject him". According to Moss, the man sees the woman's rejection as interference holding back his attempt at a "liberation of the tedium of a working class existence".[37]
Release and reception
[edit]Born in the U.S.A. was released on June 4, 1984 by Columbia Records,[38] and "I'm Goin' Down", the album's sixth single,[39] on August 27, 1985.[40][41] The 7-inch single version includes B-side "Janey, Don't You Lose Heart",[42] while the 12-inch Maxi has "Janey, Don't You Lose Heart" and "Held Up Without a Gun".[43][n 2] In the United States, "I'm Goin' Down" entered the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart on September 7,[54] and peaked at No. 9 on October 25.[55] It was one of a record-tying seven top 10 singles to be released from a single album.[n 3] It also charted in Canada,[56] Australia,[57] Italy,[58] Sweden, and Germany.[43] No music video was made for the song.[59] The track was additionally released on 12" Single Collection in 1985,[60] and The Album Collection Vol. 1 1973–1984 in 2014.[61] Writer Greg Kot has noted that despite the single's chart success, the song was not included on Springsteen's 1995 Greatest Hits compilation.[62]
![Musician Clarence Clemons onstage and playing a saxophone in front of a microphone](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/82/Clarence_Clemons_Nov_20%2C_2009.jpg/220px-Clarence_Clemons_Nov_20%2C_2009.jpg)
"I'm Goin' Down" was generally well received by critics at the time of the album's release. Some reviewers considered the song to be among the best on Born in the U.S.A.,[23][64] including Ken Tucker of The Philadelphia Inquirer, who called the track one of the "emotional centerpieces on the album, and perhaps [one of] the finest examples of Springsteen's songwriting to date".[64] The Morning Call's Paul Willistein and The Cincinnati Enquirer's Cliff Radel similarly commended the songwriting.[31][65] Willistein wrote that the composition "evidences vulnerability, sensitivity and wisdom".[65] Among the musical components praised by critics were its percussion,[19][66] vocals,[31][66] and guitar,[66] as well as Clemons' saxophone solo.[63] The musicians' passion[23] and the song's fun energy[67] were other elements singled out by reviewers. Debbie Miller of Rolling Stone described the track as "wonderfully exuberant".[19] Sounds critic Sandy Robertson, reviewing a pre-release version of Born in the U.S.A. on which the title was listed as "Down Down Down", characterized the song as "a hit single if I ever heard one" and "the core that justifies most of the hype dumped on [Springsteen]".[66]
Some contemporary reviews were negative or neutral. The Vancouver Sun's Ian Gill dismissed the track as "simply a concession to the zit set".[68] About the song's choice as the album's sixth single, critic Jan DeKnock called the release "the dud of the week" that was "an uninspired ... filler cut".[69] David Hinkley of New York's Daily News considered it an unexceptional song on which Springsteen did not add much that was new to its common theme.[70]
Live performances
[edit]Springsteen has played "I'm Goin' Down" infrequently since the end of the Born in the U.S.A. Tour.[33] For his tours between 2002 and 2023, many of the set lists have been published on his official website, Brucespringsteen.net.[71][72] Of these, all of the singer's performances of the song are listed in the table below.[n 4]
Springsteen sometimes takes song requests at concerts by collecting signs from the audience, as he did for "I'm Goin' Down" on May 21, 2009 in East Rutherford, New Jersey,[73][74] on February 27, 2016 in Rochester, New York,[75] and on August 2, 2008 in Foxborough, Massachusetts—where he introduced the song as "rarely played and even more rarely requested".[76][77]
A number of music critics have mentioned how live versions differ from the Born in the U.S.A. version.[78][79] Describing a performance of the song at an August 25, 1984 show in Landover, Maryland, critic Geoffrey Himes wrote that the "lean, synth-dominated album arrangement was supplanted by a full-tilt rock 'n' soul version".[79] Springsteen later admitted that the recorded version "had a swing ... we could never capture live".[80]
Tour or special performance | Year | Location and date | # of published "I'm Goin' Down" performances |
---|---|---|---|
The Rising Tour | 2002[71] | N/A | 0/45 (0%) |
2003[71] | Philadelphia – August 11 Hartford – September 18 Detroit – September 21 |
3/75 (4%) | |
Devils & Dust Tour | 2005[81] | N/A | 0/72 (0%) |
Bruce Springsteen with the Seeger Sessions Band Tour | 2006[82] | N/A | 0/27 (0%) |
Magic Tour | 2007[83] | N/A | 0/40 (0%) |
2008[84] | Barcelona – July 20 Foxborough – August 2 Nashville – August 21 |
3/64 (4.7%) | |
Working on a Dream Tour | 2009[72] | Tulsa – April 7 Los Angeles – April 15 Boston – April 21 East Rutherford – May 21 Stockholm – June 4 Frankfurt – July 3 Carhaix – July 16 Mansfield – August 23 Chicago – September 20 East Rutherford – October 2 East Rutherford – October 3* East Rutherford – October 9* Philadelphia – October 20* |
13/85 (15.3%) |
Wrecking Ball World Tour | 2012[85] | Sevilla – May 13 Paris – July 5 Gothenburg – July 28 Chicago – September 7 Hamilton – October 21 Oakland – November 30 |
6/91 (6.6%) |
2013[86] | Melbourne – March 27 Stockholm – May 11* Munich – May 26* Milan – June 3* Paris – June 29* London – June 30* Kilkenny – July 27* Rio de Janeiro – September 21* |
8/47 (17%) | |
High Hopes Tour | 2014[87] | Melbourne – February 15* Hunter Valley – February 23 Auckland – March 1* |
3/34 (8.8%) |
Saturday Night Live | 2015[88] | N/A | 0/1 (0%) |
The River Tour | 2016[89] | Rochester – February 27 Seattle – March 24 Barcelona – May 14 San Sebastián – May 17 Glasgow – June 1 Oslo – June 29 East Rutherford – August 30 Philadelphia – September 9 |
8/72 (11.1%) |
2017[90] | Perth – January 27 Melbourne – February 4 Mount Macedon – February 11 Hunter Valley – February 18 |
4/14 (28.6%) | |
2023 Tour | 2023[91] | N/A | 0/66 (0%) |
Total | 48/733 (6.5%) | ||
*Indicates that Springsteen performed the entire Born in the U.S.A. album at this concert. |
Legacy and cover versions
[edit]"I'm Goin' Down" has received various ratings in overviews that consider all of Springsteen's songs. A 2017 article in NME calls it the fourth greatest Springsteen song of all time.[92] A 2014 Rolling Stone article ranks "I'm Goin' Down" as the 52nd best Bruce Springsteen song ever,[33] and it is included in writer June Skinner Sawyer's Tougher Than the Rest: 100 Best Bruce Springsteen Songs.[27] By contrast, in Counting Down Bruce Springsteen: His 100 Finest Songs, Jim Beviglia puts "I'm Goin' Down" as the 131st best Springsteen track,[93] calling it "a fun but relatively minor" work.[94] A critic for NJ.com described it as the worst song of Born in the U.S.A., and placed it in the No. 164 position of 318 of the singer's works.[95] In 2015, Uncut rated the song four stars out of five.[96]
In the Billboard 2014 article "Bruce Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A. at 30: Classic Track-By-Track Album Review", Caryn Rose called it the album's "most underrated song" and "the kind of good-time party song that Springsteen and E Street do best, sliding easily through the verses with a ... bouncing rhythm ... and a fun, jumping end".[24] The song is likewise described favorably in "Born in the U.S.A. has stood the test of time", a 2002 overview in New Jersey's Daily Record newspaper.[28]
Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the eastern United States, Clear Channel Communications—the owner at the time of over 1000 radio stations[97]—issued a memorandum of songs to temporarily avoid playing, which included "I'm Goin' Down".[98] The list comprised songs that were "too dark ... [or referred] to crashes ... or death",[99] or that simply had "questionable" titles,[97] which might depress listeners grieving from the attacks.[99]
Various musicians have covered "I'm Goin' Down". In 1998, Frank Black and the Catholics—whose bandleader has expressed his admiration for the "brilliant ... structure" of Springsteen's recording[100]—included a version on their "Dog Gone" single,[101] and in 2015 on The Complete Recordings.[102] Rancid frontman Tim Armstrong put out a cover in 2012 as part of his Tim Timebomb and Friends collection,[103] while Dessa released a version on her 2013 album Parts of Speech.[104][105] The following year, a recording with fiddles and banjos by bluegrass group Trampled by Turtles, who have frequently played "I'm Goin' Down" in concert,[106] appeared on the multi-artist compilation album Dead Man's Town: A Tribute to Born in the U.S.A.[107]
![Vampire Weekend vocalist Ezra Koenig singing onstage with three other band members playing in the background](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c6/Vampire_Weekend_Red_Rocks_05.20.13.jpg/220px-Vampire_Weekend_Red_Rocks_05.20.13.jpg)
In September 2010, the online magazines Stereogum and Pitchfork noted how multiple bands had recently performed "I'm Goin' Down" in live settings within weeks of each other:[110][111] Vampire Weekend played the song in concert in Vancouver and a few days later in early September on a radio show in Seattle,[112] while Free Energy and Titus Andronicus performed it together later that month in Atlanta on their joint tour.[111] Like Frank Black, members of Vampire Weekend have expressed their high regard for Springsteen's composition, among whom vocalist Ezra Koenig had previously listened to the song "constantly",[113] and bassist Chris Baio cited Springsteen's "incredible melodies, incredible lyrics" that led the band to think "it would be exciting to put our spin on" the song.[114] Free Energy and Vampire Weekend each released a recording of it on iTunes in 2010.[108][115] Other releases include a Spotify single by Vampire Weekend in 2019.[109]
Formats and track listing
[edit]- 7-inch single[43]
- "I'm Goin' Down" – 3:29
- "Janey, Don't You Lose Heart" – 3:23
- 12-inch single[43]
- "I'm Goin' Down" – 3:29
- "Janey, Don't You Lose Heart" – 3:23
- "Held Up Without a Gun" – 1:15
Charts
[edit]Chart (1985) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart[57] | 41 |
Canadian RPM Singles Chart[56] | 23 |
German Gfk Singles Charts[43] | 61 |
Italian Musica e Dischi Singles Chart[58] | 20 |
Swedish Sverigetopplistan Singles Charts[43] | 13 |
US Billboard Hot 100[55] | 9 |
Personnel
[edit]The personnel listed below participated in the recording of "I'm Goin' Down":[6]
Musicians:
- Bruce Springsteen – vocals, guitars
- Steve Van Zandt – guitars
- Clarence Clemons – saxophone, tambourine
- Roy Bittan – piano
- Danny Federici – organ
- Garry Tallent – bass
- Max Weinberg – drums
- The group – handclaps
Technical team:
- Bruce Springsteen – producer
- Jon Landau – producer
- Chuck Plotkin – producer
- Steve Van Zandt – producer
- Toby Scott – audio engineer
- John Davenport – assistant audio engineer
- Jeff Hendrickson – assistant audio engineer
- Bruce Lampcov – assistant audio engineer
- Billy Straus – assistant audio engineer
- Zoë Yanakas – assistant audio engineer
- Bob Clearmountain – mixing
- Bob Ludwig – mastering
Notes
[edit]- ^ Other band tracks from May 1982 that were not immediately released included "Born in the U.S.A.", "Glory Days", "Downbound Train", "Darlington County", "Working on the Highway", "I'm on Fire",[12][13] and "Cover Me".[14]
- ^ Originally written for and rejected by Stevie Nicks, "Janey, Don't You Lose Heart" was recorded on June 16, 1983 at the Hit Factory, in New York City,[42] but features backing vocals by Nils Lofgren from a studio session in 1985.[44] It has been described as "a gentle, encouraging love song" that would not seem out of place on the country music charts,[45] and as a decidedly pop track with a pleasing chorus.[42] The song was later released on 12" Single Collection (1985), Tracks (1998), and 18 Tracks (1999).[46] Some reviewers have highlighted the value and collectible nature that non-album songs such as "Janey, Don't You Lose Heart", at the time only available on the single, represented for Springsteen fans.[47][48][49][50]
"Held Up Without a Gun" had also appeared as the B-side of "Hungry Heart" (1980),[48] and was released on The Ties That Bind: The River Collection (2015).[51] Sources list multiple recording dates in February and April 1980 for the song,[52][53] which is 75 seconds in length,[52] and has a punk rock influence.[52][53] It tells the story of a "rocker who is cheated by his cigar-chomping manager",[48] which some critics have interpreted as a likely reference to Springsteen's own struggles with his former manager Mike Appel of Laurel Canyon Productions.[49][52] - ^ Michael Jackson's Thriller and Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 also each share this record.[24]
- ^ This is based on set lists that were captured in archived versions of his website in November 2008 (for the 2002—2008 tours), May 2017 (for the 2009–2017 tours), and February 2024 (for the 2023 tour).
Footnotes
[edit]- ^ Deming: The River
- ^ Himes 2005, p. 26
- ^ Heylin 2012, pp. 309–310
- ^ Heylin 2012, p. 315
- ^ Marsh 1987, pp. 113–114
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Guesdon 2020, p. 246
- ^ a b c Marsh 1987, p. 115
- ^ a b Heylin 2012, p. 489
- ^ Marsh 1987, pp. 120–121
- ^ Ruhlmann: Nebraska
- ^ Himes 2005, p. 83
- ^ Marsh 1987, pp. 116–118
- ^ a b 100 Best Albums of the Eighties
- ^ Heylin 2012, p. 480
- ^ Marsh 1987, pp. 157–158, 160–161, 164
- ^ Marsh 1987, pp. 167–171, 185
- ^ Himes 2005, p. 104
- ^ a b Marsh 1987, p. 178
- ^ a b c d e Miller 1984
- ^ a b c Kishbaugh 1984, p. 29
- ^ Lewis 2015, p. 62
- ^ Fine 1984, p. 18-F
- ^ a b c d Kaye 1984, p. 15
- ^ a b c d e Rose 2014
- ^ "I'm Goin' Down" (Musicnotes.com)
- ^ Doll 2017, p. 116
- ^ a b c Sawyer 2006, p. 99
- ^ a b Cotter 2002, p. B5
- ^ a b Sill 1984, p. 2B
- ^ a b Bohen 1984, p. B11
- ^ a b c Radel 1984, p. E-22
- ^ Harrington 1984, p. D1
- ^ a b c 100 Greatest Bruce Springsteen Songs of All Time
- ^ Carlin 2012, p. 323
- ^ Heylin 2012, p. 327
- ^ Moss 1992, p. 177
- ^ a b Moss 1992, p. 178
- ^ Ruhlmann: Born in the U.S.A.
- ^ Marsh 1987, p. 402
- ^ Carpenter 1985, p. 10B
- ^ Roura 1985, p. C33
- ^ a b c Guesdon 2020, p. 262
- ^ a b c d e f Bruce Springsteen: I'm Goin' Down
- ^ Heylin 2012, pp. 501–502
- ^ Schafer 1985, p. 3
- ^ Ward
- ^ Mackie 1985, p. C2
- ^ a b c Milward 1988, pp. 1-D, 6-D
- ^ a b Cumutte 1988, p. C6
- ^ Stroby 1987, p. G13
- ^ Deming: The Ties That Bind: The River Collection
- ^ a b c d Guesdon 2020, p. 184
- ^ a b Heylin 2012, p. 467
- ^ Hot 100 Singles (September 7, 1985), p. 60
- ^ a b Bruce Springsteen: Chart History
- ^ a b Top Singles – Volume 43, No. 8, November 02, 1985
- ^ a b Kent 1993
- ^ a b "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved June 1, 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, with "I'm going down" in the "Titolo" field, click "cerca".
- ^ Himes 2005, p. 105
- ^ Ruhlmann: 12" Single Collection
- ^ Erlewine
- ^ Kot 1995, p. 3
- ^ a b Daly 1984, p. 10
- ^ a b Tucker 1984, p. 7E
- ^ a b Willistein 1984, p. 78
- ^ a b c d Robertson 1984
- ^ Marlowe 1984, p. 3C
- ^ Gill 1984, p. C3
- ^ DeKnock 1985, p. 18 S
- ^ Hinckley 1984, p. 20
- ^ a b c Live: 2002–3
- ^ a b Live Dates: 2009
- ^ Cotter 2009, p. A15
- ^ Kerwick 2009, p. A10
- ^ Spevak 2016, p. 8A
- ^ Hirsh 2008, p. 7
- ^ Gentile 2008, p. C5
- ^ Graff 1985, p. 9D
- ^ a b Himes 2005, p. 115
- ^ Boucher 2009, p. E5
- ^ Live: 2005
- ^ Live: 2006
- ^ Live: 2007
- ^ Live: 2008
- ^ Live Dates: 2012
- ^ Live Dates: 2013
- ^ Live Dates: 2014
- ^ Live Dates: 2015
- ^ Live Dates: 2016
- ^ Live Dates: 2017
- ^ Relive the Tours: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band 2023 Tour
- ^ Cooper 2017
- ^ Beviglia 2014, p. 188
- ^ Beviglia 2014, p. 34
- ^ Olivier 2019
- ^ Lewis 2015, p. 60
- ^ a b Truitt 2001
- ^ Songs you won't hear on the radio—at least for a while, p. 3E
- ^ a b Hatcher 2001
- ^ Corcoran 1997, p. 38
- ^ "Dog Gone" CD cover
- ^ Phares
- ^ "I'm Goin' Down" (Timtimebomb.com)
- ^ Koski 2013
- ^ Thomas
- ^ Margolis 2014
- ^ Beckerman 2014, p. D3
- ^ a b Vampire Weekend: iTunes Session
- ^ a b Payne 2019
- ^ Stosuy (September 27, 2010)
- ^ a b Breihan 2010
- ^ Stosuy (September 2, 2010)
- ^ Dombal 2010
- ^ Daly 2014, p. 35
- ^ "I'm Goin' Down" – Single (Free Energy)
References
[edit]- "100 Best Albums of the Eighties". Rolling Stone. November 16, 1989. Archived from the original on December 17, 2020. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- "100 Greatest Bruce Springsteen Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. January 16, 2014. Archived from the original on December 17, 2020.
- Beckerman, Jim (September 16, 2014). "Classic Springsteen album reimagined". Herald News. Archived from the original on July 26, 2021. Retrieved July 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.(subscription required)
- Beviglia, Jim (2014). Counting Down Bruce Springsteen: His 100 Finest Songs. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-4422-3066-8. Archived from the original on February 5, 2017. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
- Bohen, Jim (June 10, 1984). "There's power on 'Born in the U.S.A.'". Daily Record. Archived from the original on May 24, 2021. Retrieved May 24, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.(subscription required)
- Boucher, Geoff (May 17, 2009). "In hard times, Springsteen finds his voice". Herald News. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.(subscription required)
- Breihan, Tom (September 27, 2010). "Video: Titus Andronicus and Free Energy Cover Bruce Springsteen's "I'm Goin' Down"". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on February 28, 2012. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- "Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band: Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original (Scroll to and click "I'm Goin' Down") on September 3, 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- "Bruce Springsteen: I'm Goin' Down". Swedishcharts.com. Archived from the original on December 17, 2020. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- Carlin, Peter Ames (2012). Bruce. Touchstone. ISBN 978-1-4391-9182-8.
- Carpenter, Cheryl (August 21, 1985). "Maybe in Your Hometown?". The Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved September 29, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.(subscription required)
- Cooper, Leonie (December 20, 2017). "The best Bruce Springsteen songs". NME. Archived from the original on September 1, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
- Corcoran, Michael (October 9, 1997). "Too wild to win". Austin American-Statesman. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.(subscription required)
- Cotter, Kelly-Jane (July 29, 2002). "'Born in the U.S.A.' has stood the test of time". Gannett New Jersey. Archived from the original on May 24, 2021. Retrieved May 24, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.(subscription required)
- Cotter, Kelly-Jane (May 23, 2009). "Younger Weinberg fits right in with the E Street Band". The Central New Jersey Home News Tribune. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.(subscription required)
- Cumutte, Mark (March 4, 1988). "Bruce Springsteen: From A to B—Noteworthy flip-side songs can't be found on rocker's albums". Journal & Courier. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.(subscription required)
- Doll, Christopher (2017). Hearing Harmony: Toward a Tonal Theory for the Rock Era. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 978-0-4720-5352-0.
- Daly, Mike (June 7, 1984). "Big welcome back to Boss". The Age. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.(subscription required)
- Daly, Sean (May 2, 2014). "Back with Bite". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on July 24, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.(subscription required)
- DeKnock, Jan (September 13, 1985). "Chart Watch". For Lauderdale News/Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.(subscription required)
- Deming, Mark. "The River – Bruce Springsteen". AllMusic. Archived from the original on November 23, 2020. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- Deming, Mark. "The Ties That Bind: The River Collection – Bruce Springsteen". AllMusic. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
- "Dog Gone" (CD cover). Frank Black and the Catholics. Austria: Play It Again Sam Records. 1998.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - Dombal, Ryan (August 30, 2010). "Watch: Vampire Weekend Cover Springsteen Live". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on July 8, 2013. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
- Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Bruce Springsteen: The Album Collection, Vol. 1: 1973–1984". AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
- Fine, Marshall (June 24, 1984). "Record Review: Bruce Springsteen: Born in the U.S.A". The Times. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved February 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.(subscription required)
- Gentile, Derek (August 5, 2008). "Boss swings for fences at Foxboro". The Berkshire Eagle. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.(subscription required)
- Gill, Ian (July 7, 1984). "Springsteen's seventh—and it's a smasher". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved June 28, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.(subscription required)
- Graff, Gary (September 5, 1985). "'The Boss' holds 70,000 in his hands". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved February 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.(subscription required)
- Guesdon, Jean-Michel and Philippe Margotin (2020). Bruce Springsteen: All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. Cassell. ISBN 978-1-4391-9182-8. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
- Harrington, Richard (July 12, 1984). "Rock legend succumbs to own myth". The Modesto Bee. Archived from the original on June 4, 2021. Retrieved June 4, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.(subscription required)
- Hatcher, Thurston (September 20, 2001). "CNN.com – Radio stations retool playlists after attacks". CNN. Archived from the original on August 23, 2021. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
- Heylin, Clinton (2012). E Street Shuffle: The Glory Days of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (2013 ed.). Constable. ISBN 978-1-78033-868-2.
- Himes, Geoffrey (2005). Bruce Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A. Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 978-0-8264-1661-2. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
- Hinckley, David (June 10, 1984). "The Boss and his restless new songs of the night". Daily News. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved June 28, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.(subscription required)
- Hirsh, Marc (August 4, 2008). "Boss brings thunder to 50,000 at Gilette". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.(subscription required)
- "Hot 100 Singles (September 7, 1985)". Billboard. September 7, 1985. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
- "I'm Goin' Down". Musicnotes.com. February 25, 2013. Archived from the original on December 18, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
- "I'm Goin' Down". Timtimebomb.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
- "I'm Goin' Down – Single (Free Energy)". iTunes. December 3, 2010. Archived from the original on December 18, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
- Kaye, Roger and Robert Seltzer (July 6, 1984). "New LP proves Springsteen is born to rock". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Archived from the original on September 1, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.(subscription required)
- Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- Kerwick, Mike (May 22, 2009). "Boss romps in the 'swamps'". The Record. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.(subscription required)
- Kishbaugh, Jerry (June 22, 1984). "Springsteen Sings Woes of Working Class". The Citizens' Voice. Archived from the original on June 4, 2021. Retrieved June 4, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.(subscription required)
- Koski, Genevieve (June 25, 2013). "Dessa: Parts of Speech". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on December 18, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
- Kot, Greg (March 29, 1995). "Nothing left to prove". Daily Press. Retrieved December 30, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.(subscription required)
- Lewis, John (2015). "Born in the USA". The Ultimate Collector's Edition: Springsteen. Uncut.
- "Live: 2002–3 Dates". Brucespringsteen.net. Archived from the original on November 14, 2008. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
- "Live: 2005 Dates". Brucespringsteen.net. Archived from the original on November 15, 2008. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
- "Live: 2006 Dates". Brucespringsteen.net. Archived from the original on November 15, 2008. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
- "Live: 2007 Dates". Brucespringsteen.net. Archived from the original on November 15, 2008. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
- "Live: 2008 Dates". Brucespringsteen.net. Archived from the original on November 14, 2008. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
- "Live Dates: 2009". Brucespringsteen.net. Archived from the original on May 30, 2017. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
- "Live Dates: 2012". Brucespringsteen.net. Archived from the original on May 9, 2017. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
- "Live Dates: 2013". Brucespringsteen.net. Archived from the original on May 8, 2017. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
- "Live Dates: 2014". Brucespringsteen.net. Archived from the original on May 9, 2017. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
- "Live Dates: 2015". Brucespringsteen.net. Archived from the original on May 9, 2017. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
- "Live Dates: 2016". Brucespringsteen.net. Archived from the original on May 8, 2017. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
- "Live Dates: 2017". Brucespringsteen.net. Archived from the original on May 31, 2017. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
- Mackie, John (October 12, 1985). "Rock". The Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 6, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.(subscription required)
- Margolis, Lynne (October 1, 2014). "Dead Man's Town". Lone Star Music Magazine. Archived from the original on September 28, 2020. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
- Marlowe, Jon (June 7, 1984). "Bruce's latest reason to believe". The Miami News. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.(subscription required)
- Marsh, Dave (1987). Glory Days: Bruce Springsteen in the 1980s. Pantheon Books. ISBN 0-394-54668-7.
- Miller, Debbie (July 19, 1984). "Born in the U.S.A." Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 17, 2020. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- Milward, John (March 10, 1988). "Flip sides that could make up a mythical Springsteen album". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on September 3, 2021. Retrieved February 14, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.(subscription required)
- Moss, Pamela (1992). "Where Is the 'Promised Land'?: Class and Gender in Bruce Springsteen's Rock Lyrics". Geografiska Annaler. 74 (3): 167–187. doi:10.2307/490860. JSTOR 490860. Archived from the original on September 18, 2021. Retrieved September 18, 2021.(subscription required)
- Olivier, Bobby (May 15, 2019). "All 318 Bruce Springsteen songs, ranked from worst to best (2017 update)". NJ.com. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
- Payne, Chris (June 26, 2019). "Vampire Weekend Records Elegant Version Of 'This Life,' Covers Bruce Springsteen For Spotify Singles: Listen". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 5, 2021. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
- Phares, Heather. "Frank Black and the Catholics: The Complete Recordings". AllMusic. Archived from the original on July 26, 2019. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- Radel, Cliff (June 10, 1984). "Springsteen Soars Through Low Lyrics". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Archived from the original on May 24, 2021. Retrieved May 24, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.(subscription required)
- "Relive the Tours: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band 2023 Tour". Brucespringsteen.net. Archived from the original on February 12, 2024. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
- Robertson, Sandy (June 9, 1984). "Bruce Springsteen: Born in The USA (CBS)*****". Sounds. Archived from the original on April 18, 2021. Retrieved January 7, 2021 – via Rock's Backpages.(subscription required)
- Rose, Caryn (June 4, 2014). "Bruce Springsteen's 'Born in the U.S.A.' at 30: Classic Track-By-Track Album Review". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 8, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
- Roura, Phil and Tom Foster (August 18, 1985). "Here & There". Daily News. Retrieved December 29, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.(subscription required)
- Ruhlmann, William. "Born in the U.S.A. – Bruce Springsteen". AllMusic. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- Ruhlmann, William. "Nebraska – Bruce Springsteen". AllMusic. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- Ruhlmann, William. "12" Single Collection – Bruce Springsteen". AllMusic. Archived from the original on February 25, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- Sawyer, June Skinner (2006). Tougher Than the Rest: 100 Best Bruce Springsteen Songs. Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-8256-3470-9.
- Schafer, Eric (September 5, 1985). "Record Reviews". Press & Sun-Bulletin. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 6, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.(subscription required)
- Sill, Melanie (June 15, 1984). "In Tune". The News & Observer. Archived from the original on May 24, 2021. Retrieved May 24, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.(subscription required)
- "Songs you won't hear on the radio—at least for a while". Chicago Tribune. September 21, 2001. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.(subscription required)
- Spevak, Jeff (February 29, 2016). "Springsteen rocks, explores life on 'River'". Democrat and Chronicle. Retrieved December 30, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.(subscription required)
- Stosuy, Brandon (September 2, 2010). "Vampire Weekend's Springsteen Cover Gets An Official Recording". Stereogum. Archived from the original on March 1, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- Stosuy, Brandon (September 27, 2010). "Titus Andronicus & Free Energy Cover That Springsteen Song Vampire Weekend Covered A Few Weeks Ago". Stereogum. Archived from the original on July 21, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
- Stroby, W.C. (March 1, 1987). "B-side Craze Catches On". Asbury Park Press. Archived from the original on September 3, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.(subscription required)
- Thomas, Fred. "Parts of Speech – Dessa". AllMusic. Archived from the original on August 12, 2015. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- "Top Singles – Volume 43, No. 8, November 02, 1985". RPM. November 2, 1985. Archived from the original on December 17, 2020. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- Truitt, Eliza (September 17, 2001). "It's the End of the World as Clear Channel Knows It". Slate. Archived from the original on October 15, 2007. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
- "iTunes Session – Vampire Weekend". AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 19, 2017. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- Ward, Thomas. "'Janey, Don't You Lose Heart' – Bruce Springsteen". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 18, 2020. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- Tucker, Ken (September 13, 1984). "Music: Springsteen makes rock seem important once again". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.(subscription required)
- Willistein, Paul (June 16, 1984). "Records". The Morning Call. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.(subscription required)