[melancholy music plays]
[sighs]
Go on.
['50s pop music playing,
"Wheel of Fortune"]
[customers chattering]
Hey, kid.
Daddy?
Mom said it's time to go home.
Wait outside.
[Bruce's mother]
You're a bully!
You don't even know it!
I don't even recognize you.
You're destroying yourself.
You're destroying this family.
I'm not gonna let you do it.
I just won't.
The yelling
and the screaming
[speaks indistinctly]
-[Bruce's father] Bruce!
-[Bruce's mother] Enough!
He's got school tomorrow.
You leave him alone!
I'm not going to let him
grow up in a
[rock music plays distantly,
"Born to Run"]
[music volume increases]
[Bruce] One, two, three!
The highway's jammed
With broken heroes
On a last-chance
Power drive
Everybody's out
On the run tonight
But there's no place left
To hide
Together, Wendy
We can live with the sadness
I'll love you with
All the madness in my soul
Whoa
Someday, girl
I don't know when
We're gonna
Get to that place
We really want to go
We'll walk in the sun
But 'til then
Tramps like us
Baby, we were born to run
Tramps like us
Baby, we were born to run
Oh, tramps like us
Baby, we were born to run
[vocalizes]
Ooh
[vocalizes]
[vocalizes]
[continues vocalizing]
Thank you.
[music fades]
[breathing heavily]
[Jon] Hey, hey.
Fantastic.
I mean, just fantastic.
Thanks, Jon.
Hell of a way to end the tour.
You need anything?
You got some water?
No, I'm good.
Uh, local radio is here.
They'd love a minute.
And a writer from Creem.
You know,
tell 'em give me five.
-[Jon] You bet.
-Okay.
Okay. Just crack
the door when you're ready.
Thanks, Jon.
[Jon]
The keys to the new rental,
they're under a planter
outside the front door.
Okay?
The phone should be working.
You know, I still think
it's worth considering,
like, a change of scenery.
Maybe a place in the city
or something.
[Bruce chuckles]
-You dog.
-[chuckles]
Hard to pry me out
of my small town, Jonny.
You know the city scares me.
Just need to get home.
Slow things down a little.
All right.
Crack the door
when you're ready.
[Bruce] Okay.
[R & B music playing,
Dobie Gray "Drift Away"]
[Bruce] This got to be it.
Home sweet home.
[Bruce's friend]
Looks nice and quiet.
Once you're settled,
you should come by the garage.
Bike's almost done.
Yeah. It's a deal.
All right, you need a hand
or you got it?
No, no. I'm all good.
Thanks, Matty.
All right. I'll see you soon.
[scoffs]
Hmm.
[Bruce]
Never owned a new car before.
[Bruce] Whoo!
[salesman]
That's a 305 V8, 145 horses.
You know,
it might not look like it,
but these are updated
Lear seats.
Positraction rear end. T-tops.
And top-of-the-line
cassette player.
Pure class.
I might like it better
if it had a record player.
[rock music playing,
Foreigner "Urgent"]
It's a little flashier
than I'm used to.
But it's awfully fitting for
a handsome-devil rock star.
I do know who you are.
Well, that makes one of us.
[music stops]
[announcer] Come to the world's
most thrilling theme park,
Action Park.
With over 60 spectacular
rides, shows and attractions.
[radio host] Folks,
you know him, you love him.
The Boss is riding high
after his sold out River Tour.
This one's still burning up
the airwaves.
From The River, here's
Springsteen's "Hungry Heart."
Turn it up.
-No. [sighs]
-[music stops]
No, no, no.
Jon. Hey, my man.
Do we have a meeting
or something?
-I'm forgetting.
-How you doing, Al?
No, I'm popping up
to see Yetnikoff.
The big guy's still trying
to convince Bruce
to release his outtakes, huh?
[chuckles]
Right. That'll be the day.
No, I imagine he wants to
know what's next.
And, I mean,
we've only been off tour,
what, a week now?
Five days. But who's counting?
[laughs]
No, what is next?
Al, come on.
Well, I mean, listen.
While I have you here,
I don't have to tell you
we've got more momentum
than ever before.
We've got the one top ten
on The River.
And we think
that's just the beginning.
We think that he's gonna
hit it out of the park
with the next one.
You're right.
You don't have to tell me.
I'm just saying, man.
The iron's hot.
Our man's on a rocket ship,
and we don't want to miss
that window.
I'll tell him
you send regards.
-Please do.
-Okay.
Thank you.
[drum roll]
Lucille
You won't do
Your sister's will?
- Yeah, Lucille
- Lucille
You won't do
Your sister's will?
You ran off and married
You know I love you still
- Yeah, Lucille
- Lucille
Please come back
Where you belong
- Yeah, Lucille
- Lucille
Please come back
Where you belong
I've been good to you, baby
Please, don't leave me alone
I woke up this morning
Lucille was not in sight
I asked my friends
About her
But all their lips
Were tight
Lucille
Please come back
Where you belong
I've been good to you
Baby
You gave me such
A wonderful start
I played fair with you
Baby
You gave me such
A wonderful start
[singer] Whoo!
Stone Pony!
Yeah!
Bruce! Bruce! Bruce! Bruce!
Oh, man, you guys took 'em
to the Delta.
Thanks for having me.
[singer] Gotta take them
to church, man.
You know we love having you.
Hey, we're playing
next Sunday, Bruce.
-Come join us, man.
-Yeah, I'll be there.
Yeah, don't miss it.
-Hey, Bruce. Hey, man.
-Hey.
-It's Joey.
-Hey.
Romano.
We had gym class together.
-Joey. Joey, hey. Yeah.
-Yeah.
-Yeah, it's been a long time.
-Yeah.
-How you been?
-Good, good.
Good, you know.
Not as good as you,
but come on. Who is, right?
Who'd have thunk Springy
would be a superstar?
Hey, how are your folks?
They seem to be getting by.
They moved out
to California
-Oh, sh*t.
-after we graduated.
You remember my sister, Faye?
Come on. Don't be shy.
-[Bruce] No.
-Hi.
-No, sorry. Not really.
-Yeah.
Faye was a few years
behind us in school.
High school
is a bit of a blur.
Sure. I mean, you meet
so many people nowadays.
Right.
[Joey's friend]
Romano, we're leaving.
Give me a f*cking minute.
I'm talking to Bruce.
Jesus.
-I can't wait
for your next record, man.
-Oh, thanks, man.
Next thing you know, it's,
"Elvis is in the building."
No, no. Never.
All right.
-I'll catch you.
-Mmm.
-Keep doing your thing, man.
-Thanks.
[Joey] I'm coming!
I'm sorry.
We actually haven't met.
He's been saying
he'd introduce me
for a while, but
Like, since I graduated.
I didn't believe
he actually knew you.
I loved your version
of "Lucille."
You really let
all the stops out.
Oh, yeah. Cool.
You like Little Richard?
Yeah.
I mean, no offense,
he's the real king
of rock and roll.
That's true.
I know this is weird.
I told Joey he probably
shouldn't bother you,
but if you ever wanna hang out
or grab a coffee or
It's not weird at all.
I, uh
I've met a few sisters.
-I bet you have.
-I just [chuckles]
I gotta be honest with you.
I-- I'm kinda seeing somebody.
You know, just kinda.
And I'm sure me and you
could have a lot of fun.
I'm just not sure
I'd be a lot of fun.
-I get it. I'm just a fan.
-Okay.
I know you got
a lot of those, so
Right.
Well, if you do
change your mind,
and you wanna meet up
Yeah. Maybe someday.
-That would be great.
-Okay.
[man in car]
Bruce, you suck!
Ooh.
Another satisfied customer.
Clearly not
a Little Richard fan.
[pensive music plays]
[Bruce's parents arguing]
[Bruce's mother] The yelling
and the screaming
- [Bruce's father] Bruce!
- You should be ashamed
You're a bully.
You don't even know it!
I don't even recognize you.
You don't know
what the hell's going on.
I'm not gonna let him grow up
in a house
where he is terrified
of his father.
Get up.
[sighs]
Put your hands up.
I'm tired.
You're too young to be tired.
Daddy, you know
I don't like to fight.
Well, sometimes you have to.
Come on.
It'll be fun. Hands up.
Up. Protect your face.
There you go. That's it.
Good. This way.
Jab.
No. This hand. Jab.
No. This hand.
This hand. Look.
Huh?
Jab.
No. This hand. Come on.
Be a man. Hit me.
Here. Harder. Huh? Come on.
-Harder.
-Douglas! Enough!
[Jon] I was telling Walter
about that night in Hamburg.
We start the show,
and it's like
Night of the Living Dead.
Everybody's sitting
on their hands.
Then Max hits the drum intro,
and bam,
everybody's up on their feet.
Yeah, they were in.
They were all in.
You know,
I'll never forget it.
It was like a tidal wave.
I mean, they'd have you back
tomorrow if they could.
We're very well set up
over there.
[Bruce] Hmm.
But, you know,
I think it's the next record
that's gonna
situate all of it.
You know how it goes.
Once you have
your first top ten,
you know, they want three
for the next.
You gotta feed the machine.
That's not us, Jon.
We've never been
about singles, but the album.
Right? The whole story.
No, I know.
I mean, they're not thinking
about albums.
They're just thinking
about momentum.
Right.
You know? The big picture.
Hey, they're just excited.
You know, they wanna make sure
we don't lose steam.
[sighs]
It's hard coming home.
Quiet can get a little loud.
But that's, you know
Coming off the road has never
been easy for you.
Yeah.
You just need to give it
some time.
It'll pass.
Yeah. Yeah.
You know, I've been, um
thinking about what you said.
Next time we go in the studio,
you know,
don't waste all the time
and money writing in there.
We wanna come ready
with the material.
That's smart.
You finished The River
with only 20K in the bank.
Right.
You spent all your money
in the studio
finishing the record.
You don't need
to do that again.
I read about these machines.
You know, they're new.
You can multitrack at home,
you know, for cheap.
They record on quarter-inch?
No, cassettes.
Cassettes? How many tracks?
Four. You can get
basic arrangement down.
You know, a little bit more
than guitar, vocal demo.
They don't sound great,
but, you know, it's not about
capturing sounds
so much as ideas.
Look into it.
Oh, I am.
Love you, Bruce!
"Hungry Heart"!
See that?
I'm telling you,
hit singles aren't so bad.
Right?
[Jane Fonda on TV]
one, two, three, four.
[announcer] of Family Feud,
Richard Dawson.
[theme stops]
[Mark Goodman]
This final note.
Now, once you started
to get MTV,
I bet you thought
you had all--
[Kit] My girl Holly and I
decided to k*ll ourselves.
The same way I did her daddy.
Big decision.
[Holly] Kit left a record
playing over and over
for the district attorney
to find.
He was gambling for time.
[Kit]
But one thing though.
He was provoking me
when I popped him.
Well, that's
what it was like. Pop.
[choral music plays]
[pensive acoustic music
plays]
[Kit] Suppose I shot you.
How'd that be?
Huh?
Wanna hear
what it sounds like?
-[g*nsh*t]
-[Bruce humming]
[guitar playing]
[Bruce] He saw her standing
On her front lawn
Twirling her baton
Him and her went
For a ride, sir
Ten innocent people died
-[Holly] Kit! Kit!
- Hey, where are you going?
[Holly] Daddy!
[Holly] Daddy?
This is Holly.
[Holly breathing heavily]
Are you gonna be okay?
[Bruce's mother]
I can't take it anymore.
Day after day
it's the same thing.
And I won't sit back
and watch you--
You terrified him tonight!
-No.
-Yes, you did!
-You saw the look on his face.
-No.
You come home, you're
a completely different person.
-[Bruce's father] No, I'm not.
-You're a bully. Yes, you are!
You're a bully!
You don't even realize it.
Night after night,
I have to send our 8-year-old
son into that bar
to pull you out.
Aren't you ashamed
of yourself?
Do you even realize?
Look at yourself.
You don't even realize
what a disgrace you are.
Yeah, a disgrace!
I said, a disgrace!
[Bruce's mother gasps]
[Bruce's mother gasps]
[chuckles]
[Bruce's father] That's right.
Don't ever let anybody
hurt your mother.
-Are you okay?
-Mm-hmm.
[Faye] Coming!
I'll be right there!
[Faye's mother]
Will somebody get the door?
Hi. Happy New Year.
Hi. Happy New Year. Um
-Does Faye live here?
-[girl] Who are you?
I'm Bruce. Who are you?
I'm Haley.
I just had a hot dog.
I love hot dogs.
You have mustard or ketchup?
Mustard.
That's my favorite too.
-Hi.
-[Bruce] Hi.
We weren't sure you were
gonna show up. Were we, baby?
I'm sorry I'm so late.
I got caught up
with something.
It's okay. We're used to men
not keeping their word.
[Faye's mother]
Haley, come on.
I'm joking. I'm sorry.
Sort of.
-Let's finally get you to bed.
-I love you. Goodbye.
Good night.
Be good for Nana and Poppy.
-When are you gonna be back?
-Don't wait up.
-Hi.
-Hi.
I'm just staying here
until I can get another job,
and then I can get
my own place.
-Okay.
-I'm really glad you came.
-Me too.
-[chuckles]
-Let's go have some fun.
-Yeah.
Where are we going?
-Just go for a drive.
-Yeah?
[rock music playing,
Santana "Winning"]
[music stops]
Hope we don't get
into trouble.
We get in trouble,
I'm doing something wrong.
-In this town, I'm king.
-[chuckles]
No way.
-That's cool.
-Come on.
-Are we getting on?
-Oh, yeah.
Do you bring
all your dates here?
Well, not at 2:00 a.m.
Well, I don't care
what time it is.
It's one of
my favorite places.
You smile a lot.
Is smiling ill*gal?
Not in Asbury.
What's Faye like to do
in her free time?
Well, Faye doesn't have
free time.
Faye has Haley.
Right.
But when she does,
Faye plays chess.
Chess?
Yeah, what's wrong with that?
There's nothing wrong
with that.
It's cool as hell.
I listen to a lot of music.
Well,
who's in Faye's rotation?
You know, Lou Reed.
Debbie Harry.
Patti Smith, of course.
-Sure.
-Um
This guy Bruce Springsteen.
I don't know
if you've heard of him.
-That guy?
-Yeah.
You have good taste.
-[chuckles] Oh, yeah?
-Hmm.
Hey, that night we met
That your first time
at the Pony?
I've been going to Pony since
they've been letting me
into the Pony.
And if I'm being honest,
I don't think I've ever been
there when you haven't.
If I'm being honest,
I can't believe
I never noticed you.
Happy New Year.
I hope I'm not
making a mistake.
I'm definitely
making a mistake.
Susie Jenkins kept me busy
till about 11:58,
that's when slick Billy
McCluster decided to swoop in.
You know how he is,
that little as*h*le.
[Bruce chuckles]
Let's just say,
I still can't close.
You gotta close, Mikey.
Don't I know it.
But not closing
allowed me to go
to the record shop, see Pete.
He suggested this
TEAC 144 Portastudio.
He says that you can use it
as a multitrack,
but do not expect
studio quality.
Says you may not even want
people to hear it. [chuckles]
That's okay. It's just me.
I'm not making a record.
Just roughing on some ideas.
You know, and the acoustics
are great in there.
-Nice and dead.
-Oh.
Sounds like
you got some songs.
[Bruce]
I don't know what I got.
But if I got anything good,
we'll recut it
in the studio with the band.
[Mike] Anything else you need?
-[Bruce] A couple of mics.
-[Mike] sh*t.
I already got the J-200
acoustic and harmonicas.
-I could use a 12-string.
-You use a glockenspiel?
-[Bruce] Definitely the GL*CK.
-[Mike laughs]
Set it down.
Aren't you gonna wanna,
you know
[Bruce] Well, Mikey
Oh. I meant sleep. But hey,
I'm not judging. [chuckles]
-I think you just did.
-[chuckles]
Nice carpet, Boss.
Some candles or bourbon
might take the sting off.
God, man. At least let me hang
a poster or something.
Maybe over this.
This thing's creeping me out.
I'm just singing
in the shower.
[Mike]
"Singing in the shower."
-You know I'm not a mixer.
-Yeah, course I know.
I don't know sh*t about
recording or whatever.
I'm not making
a record, Mikey.
I don't want an engineer or
producer judging this stuff.
I just want it to feel like
I'm in the room by myself.
Then you've found your man.
[folk music playing,
Bruce Springsteen "Nebraska"]
[Bruce] Now, the jury
Brought in a guilty verdict
And the judge
He sentenced me to death
Midnight
In a prison storeroom
[Douglas] Hey!
Jump in.
But what about school?
No school today.
[Bruce] Really?
Just you and me.
[Harry Powell, in movie]
Speak.
Speak or I'll cut your throat
and leave you to drip
like a hog
hung up in butchering time.
[John Harper] Pearl, shut up!
Pearl, you swore!
[Harry Powell] You could
save him, little bird.
Inside my doll!
Inside my doll!
[Harry Powell] The doll!
[laughs] Why, sure!
The last place
anybody'd think to look.
[Bruce] They declared me
Unfit to live
Said into that great void
My soul'd be hurled
They want to know
Why I did what I did
Sir, I guess
There's just a meanness
In this world
I think we got that.
Oh, yeah, we got that one.
So this song got a name?
I was gonna call it
"Starkweather."
But now I'm thinking
"Nebraska."
[guitar playing]
[humming]
[humming continues]
[pensive music playing]
[Douglas] Imagine that.
Must be a small fortune
for that sucker.
Live in something like that
and all your problems
will disappear.
[folk music playing,
"Mansion on the Hill"]
All right, kids. Go run about.
[laughing, panting]
-[Bruce] Look at that!
-[Bruce's sister laughs]
There's a place
Out on the edge
Of town, sir
[Bruce's sister]
Wait for me, Bruce!
You're going too fast!
Wait up!
Yeah!
Let's go!
Whoo!
Bruce!
Yeah! Wait up!
["Mansion on the Hill"
continues]
Wait up!
[Bruce] In the day
You can see
The children playing
On the road that leads
To those gates
Of hardened steel
Steel gates that
Completely surround, sir
The mansion on the hill
[Haley] I'm riding it.
Do you remember
what noise a horse makes?
Yep.
-Can you do it?
-[imitates horse]
That's it.
[Haley] Uh!
You really didn't have
to do that.
Hope she can have
some fun with it.
Oh, yeah.
She's gonna have fun with it.
-Thank you.
-Yeah.
-Okay, I'm gonna get our stuff.
-Okay.
-Wanna hang out with Bruce?
-Sure.
-All right, let's do it.
-I'm gonna take this upstairs.
-You want it in your room?
-Uh, sure.
[Bruce] All right.
You wanna sit in the front
or you wanna go in the back?
-What do you think?
-The front!
-The front?
-Yes!
All right, you got it.
Is that
that guitar player fella?
Yes, Daddy.
That's Bruce Springsteen.
Careful, huh?
Your Uncle Dave played guitar.
Right, well,
Uncle Dave didn't sing.
At least not like Bruce.
[Haley] Yeah, but
I don't want it right now.
[Bruce] Okay.
What did we decide?
[Haley] Dancing.
-[Bruce] Dancing.
-[Faye] That's dancing.
-One, two, three!
-Three!
Whoo!
Wow!
[Bruce] She is too fast.
-She is too fast.
-[Faye] She's catching up.
Baby, you won!
-[Bruce] Haley.
-[Faye] Congratulations.
What's that?
See right there.
[hopeful music playing]
Press the buttons.
Just keep pressing them, huh?
Yeah, never not be pressing
those buttons.
Go Bruce. Go Bruce. Go Bruce.
-Press that one.
-Press that one? No, no.
-Higher up. Just a little bit.
-So we can go over the green.
But don't go all the way
to the top, remember?
[humming]
I'm on fire
Very serious.
Hey!
-Mommy got it, huh?
-Yay!
There you go. Go ahead. Yes.
[Haley screams, laughs]
She looks like an angel.
[Faye] She's out cold.
She's been running around
all day.
I can take her to the office.
It's quiet back there.
Oh, no, no. It's fine.
Thank you, though.
All right.
Well, let me know
if you need anything.
I will.
That's Viv. She's my manager.
She's the sweetest.
So how long you worked here?
-It's a little over a year.
-Hmm.
I mean, it's a paycheck,
but they make me feel at home.
I can tell.
[Bruce chuckles]
We had a really nice time.
She really needed it.
And honestly, so did I.
You heard
from her father lately?
Hardly ever.
Turns out
we weren't his first rodeo.
I'm sorry.
It's okay,
'cause I no longer have to
worry about what I should eat
or what I should wear
or whether my neck is long
enough for hoop earrings.
It's a hard thing
realizing people aren't
who you want them to be.
Hmm.
I would say I'm a natural.
Wouldn't you?
[Bruce] Yeah,
definitely a natural.
-Yeah.
-[Bruce chuckles]
I don't know, I think
I found my true calling.
[Bruce chuckles]
Yeah, I think
you just might have.
[gentle music playing]
I've been thinking
about giving you this.
What's that?
It's my Saint Christopher.
It's kept me safe.
It's beautiful.
Trust that it will protect you
and guide you
where you're meant to go.
Thank you.
-[Jon] I got a call from Jann.
-Mmm.
And he wants
to do a feature on you,
which I think could be great.
Right.
And then The Tonight Show,
you know, Carson's team,
they reached out again.
So they're really pushing hard
for you to come on the show.
I told 'em
we'd think about it.
It's all piling up, huh?
You're not a bar band
musician anymore.
It's the big time.
-Big time.
-Big pile.
[Bruce chuckles]
Big pile.
On that subject
-You know Paul Schrader?
-The writer?
He wrote Taxi Driver.
Great movie.
He sent this over.
Thought you'd might like it.
"Born in the U.S.A."
He wants me
to write a song for it?
Write a song and star in it.
You know, act in it.
Star in it?
Yeah. You and De Niro.
[Bruce laughs]
No sh*t.
-That's what he says.
-Wow.
Okay.
Yeah, I'll give it a read.
I'll give it a read.
-Great.
-Okay, Jon.
-[Jon] Thanks for coming in.
-[Bruce] Good to see you.
[Jon] Hang on a second.
I got one more thing.
-We're scheduled to record
"Cover Me"
-[Bruce] Ah.
for Donna Summer
around January 25th.
-Okay.
-Do you feel good about that?
'Cause Geffen keeps calling
and I assured him
it's happening.
Yeah, yeah, no.
Honestly, I haven't given it
too much thought.
I think I got something
to work from,
but I'm on that other wave
right now, you know?
Those other songs,
they're feeling good. So
Great.
Well, you ride that wave.
But Dave is telling Quincy
they'll have something
by February,
so we got a little time.
Just not a lot.
-Okay.
-Hey.
Hey, if this is all too much,
let's just pull back.
You say the word.
Oh, no. I'm okay.
Just trying to find something
real in all the noise.
You always do. Okay?
But don't push it.
We'll let it find you.
Okay.
You find something real,
I'll deal with the noise.
-You deal with the noise.
-It's my job. [laughs]
Thanks, Jon.
[folk music playing,
Bruce Springsteen "Used Cars"]
My little sister's
In the front seat
With an ice cream cone
[Mike]
This little b*stard's wonky.
Yeah.
I tested it and it mixed down,
but I don't know
about the sound quality.
What do you think?
Eh, it's not a surprise.
You know, Gary and I
took it out boating,
hit some rough waters
and a wave got it.
And it was dead
for a couple of months.
Then it dried out,
came back to life,
scared the hell out of me.
[music stops]
I believe it.
That's some
weird Exorcist sh*t.
Its head might start spinning.
Listen, Mikey, I, uh
I want us to run everything
through this Echoplex.
All right? On all the tracks
we're mixing.
You know, just like
Elvis's early Sun records.
Elvis, yeah.
You're sure though, Boss?
I know that once you put
the echo on it,
you can't undo it.
Yeah, I'm sure, Mikey.
Now, mister
The day the lottery I win
I ain't ever gonna ride
In no used car again
Now the neighbors come
From near and far
[Mike]
Are you hearing that, Boss?
The tape's speed is off.
It's playing back slower.
I don't know.
Whatever's off
sounds just right to me.
Man, I really love it.
Listen
To my last prayer
Well, it's different.
Definitely not "Hungry Heart."
Deliver me from nowhere
Whoo!
Whoo!
Seemed kinda funny, sir
To me
Still at the end
Of every hard day
People find
Some reason to believe
["Reason to Believe"
continues]
[music stops]
Man.
I love the short echo.
I don't know
what Jon's gonna think,
but there's something
I can't quite grasp.
I think it's the distance
that we're hearing.
You know, it's like it's from
the past or something.
[rock music
playing on radio]
[Matt]
So how's it going with Faye?
[Bruce]
It's going good, I guess.
But you know me
I'm not gonna
make it easy on her.
Come on. Don't tell me
she's another drive-by?
Ah, she's a great gal,
but I can feel
I'm getting in my own way.
Being with you
can be painful business.
Thanks for the morale boost.
Are you saying I can't change?
No.
I'm just saying
I'd like to see it.
I don't know, Matty.
When I'm deep in my work,
I'm just not much good
for anything else.
At least we're not breaking up
on a weekly basis
like you and Teresa.
That's my future wife
you're talking about
right there.
You watch your mouth.
Seriously,
if she's worth it to you,
make the effort.
Don't half-a*s it.
So when is this thing
gonna be done?
I don't know.
-How about your wedding day?
-[laughs]
Hey. What do you think
you're doing?
Two feet away, please.
Come on.
-This is a work of art here.
-All right.
All right?
Do I come into your studio
and pick up your guitar?
Come on.
That's Ahmet.
That's That's his genius.
You know,
he shaped the uh
What's it Phil Collins.
"In the Air Tonight."
-You know, that's that's
-[knocking on door]
That's that's why
Come on in.
Let me You know,
let me call you back.
[chuckles]
Great.
-Hey, Jon.
-How we doing?
Didn't trust
the delivery service.
Where's the case?
-For the tape?
-For the tape.
No case, but he did
give me this letter.
-Okay. Thanks, Mike.
-Yeah.
[Bruce]
Jon, I know this is a first,
but there's
all sorts of stuff here.
A lot of ideas, just not sure
where they're going.
So I put anything I thought
would be good for you to hear.
[Bruce] Well, they blew up
The chicken man
In Philly last night
Now they blew up
His house too
Down on the
[Bruce]
Many might need editing.
Some lines changed.
Arrangements changed.
These words are not completely
worked out or finished.
And so the singing
is occasionally awkward.
I don't know if this song
is a keeper or not,
but I thought
you'd get a kick out of it.
[rock music playing,
"Born in the U.S.A."]
This little ditty
is from the Schrader script.
Never got around
to reading it.
Just liked the title.
Born down
In a dead man's town
The first kick I took
Was when I hit the ground
If we even record this number,
it should be done
hard rockin'.
Spend half your life
Just a-coverin' up
Born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.
I worked a long time
on this one.
Always had the feeling
I was coming up short, though.
Not really finished,
but it's as good
as I can get it.
I catch him
When he's strayin'
Don't think the ending
is quite strong enough yet.
Teach him
How to walk that line
Man turns his back
On his family
He ain't no friend of mine
Just trying to break
a little new ground.
I dug deep.
But I think
they have potential.
[Jon] It's not
what I was expecting.
Well, so? It's just a demo.
[Jon] It's not just that.
It's like he's channeling
something deeply personal
and
quite frankly, you know, dark.
These songs about somebody
who feels condemned.
Well, it sounds
like he's pushing boundaries
you need to acknowledge.
And you need him
to help you understand
what's driving him so hard.
The truth is I don't know
how to help him right now.
I don't know
what to do with this.
I think I'm not gonna
say anything now.
I'll see what the songs become
when we cut 'em with the band.
I mean,
that's always been the way.
[rock music playing,
John Lee Hooker "Boom, Boom"]
Boom, boom, boom, boom
I'm gonna sh**t you
Right down
Take you in my home
I'm in love with you
Know that it's true
Boom, boom, boom, boom
I like the way you walk
I like the way you talk
When you walk that walk
And you talk that talk
You knocked me out
Right off of my feet
Shake it, baby
Shake it, baby
-All right
- Shake it, baby
I don't mean maybe
Shake it, baby
You drive me crazy
Shake it, baby
All right, child
Shake it, baby
Yeah
[Faye applauding] Bravo.
Loved that John Lee Hooker
number you played for me.
It's really cool.
I didn't know you were here.
I didn't see you.
Well, sometimes
you miss the things
that are right
in front of you.
I've been trying to reach you.
I thought maybe
you'd gone out on the road
and forgot to tell me.
No, no, no. I just thought--
I don't need to know.
I just didn't know
where you'd disappeared to.
You don't call me back.
Faye, I just
I don't want this to be more
than I can live up to.
I knew
what the risks were with you.
I just wish
that you'd let me in.
I don't wanna be
like everybody
who just wants
something from you.
But I do need a ride home.
-I can do that.
-Yeah?
-Yeah, come on.
-Okay.
I wish you didn't have to go.
You could stay.
I want to, but I can't.
Is everything okay?
Yeah.
I'll see you soon.
[synth-punk music playing,
Suicide "Frankie Teardrop"]
[panting]
[screams]
[Mike]
Was there a m*rder in here?
What are you
even listening to?
Suicide.
Most amazing record
I've ever heard.
[Mike]
It's kinda hard to dance to.
These are from Landau.
You've been to that guy's
office? Quite a view.
So, all your gear
to the Power Station?
Except the recording stuff,
just the normal setup.
I'll be there
in the next day or so.
Hey, Bruce.
Maybe don't play it on repeat.
[music ends]
[Bruce, on answering machine]
Hey, it's me.
Leave me a message.
[Bruce's mother]
Bruce!
Honey, he's lost somewhere
in Los Angeles.
We can't find him.
It's been three days now.
He got arrested out in the
desert over a traffic ticket
- with this thing.
-Hey. Ma.
- I don't know.
-Ma.
-Hey.
- Oh, honey, thank God.
Hey, what's going on?
What's going on?
Your father,
he's been arrested.
Something about
a traffic ticket.
And they took him
to the LA County jail.
Arrested?
The last thing I heard,
they let him out
and he was
in an alley in Chinatown.
Can you come find him?
I'm gonna get on a plane.
[Bruce's mother] It's just
too awful thinking about
what your father's
been dealing with
after such a long time. But--
Oh, honey, he lost his job
at the airport
and he's been
hearing voices. [crying]
I don't know what to do.
He's not taking his medication
and I can't control him
anymore, honey.
He won't listen.
Hey, Pop.
Hey, bud.
Hi.
Am I late for work?
You know,
I drive a bus these days.
Yeah, I know you do.
But not today. No work today.
No.
You hungry?
You wanna get some breakfast?
Egg McMuffin sounds good.
Egg McMuffin. Good.
That's what we'll get.
No, no. It's my treat.
He's a very nice man.
Thank you.
Am I?
[Bruce] Let's get out of here.
There you go.
[people chattering]
Is he
Is he gonna be all right?
I don't know if he'll ever be
all right, you know.
But I got him to the hospital.
And I got him
back on his meds.
So he's good.
We can push
the session tonight
if you're not up for it.
-No, no.
-The guys would understand.
I'm good. I'm good.
You sure?
Yeah.
You know, I was
I was standing here,
waiting for you.
I was thinking about us
up there in Studio A.
You know, eating takeout
and watching reruns of
The Honeymooners on WPIX.
And after everything
that's happened,
sometimes it feels like
we're still there. You know?
Heads full of dreams.
Looking for
that $99,000 answer.
It sure as hell does.
Hey, the boys up there?
Let's burn
this place down, Jonny.
Come on.
-Let's do it.
-All right.
[rock music playing,
"Born in the U.S.A."]
Born down
In a dead man's town
The first kick I took
Was when I hit the ground
End up like a dog
That's been beat too much
'Til you spend
Half your life
Just a-coverin' up, now
Born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A. now
Got in a little
Hometown jam
So they put a r*fle
In my hand
Sent me off
To a foreign land
To go and k*ll
The yellow man
Born in the U.S.A.
I was
Born in the U.S.A. now
Born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A.
Come back home
To the refinery
Hirin' man says,
"Son, if it was up to me"
Went down to see my VA man
He said, "Son,
Don't you understand?" now
Oh, yeah
Oh, God, no
No, no, no, no
No, no, no, no, no
Oh, my God, no
Hell of a day, Boss.
You know, I think
I think the muse came down
and kissed you on the mouth.
[both chuckle]
Wow. I mean,
you tapped into something
incredibly powerful,
and I'm excited to see
where it takes us.
Yeah, no,
I never would've guessed
we would've gotten that
off that demo.
No. I know.
I mean, it's just two chords,
Jonny, you know?
Two chords. [chuckles]
You know what?
Jimmy's in town
with Stevie Nicks.
He said he wanted to drop by.
You okay if I play it for him?
-Iovine?
-Yeah.
Sure. Yeah, no.
We'll see what he thinks.
But tomorrow
I really wanna try
to get "Nebraska"
with the boys.
You know,
see what it sounds like
with the band on.
We gotta get that one right.
Yeah. And we will get it.
-We'll get it.
-Okay.
Hey.
We burned it down.
Yeah, we burned it down.
Yeah, how's Pop doing?
[Bruce's mother] He's okay.
He's sleeping right now.
You know.
Honey, some days
are harder than others,
but we're just fine.
Tell him I say hello.
Oh, I sure will.
He always perks up
when he hears from you.
Okay. Good night.
Good night, sweetheart.
From the town
Of Lincoln, Nebraska
With a sawed-off .410
On my lap
Through the badlands
Of Wyoming
No, it's all wrong.
I mean, the synth, mandolin,
electric guitar.
We're losing everything
I like about the demo.
It's getting buried
under these layers.
You know, I mean, this,
this has something, all right?
It's got the atmosphere,
rawness.
It's got the right kinda echo,
and this just doesn't have it.
The band's overpowering
the material,
and we're losing
what makes it special to me.
I think
we gotta strip it back.
-Okay, but
-Just let it breathe, right?
Let's move on. Right.
We got something
great yesterday.
Really powerful.
We just, you know,
we didn't get "Nebraska,"
but we'll get there.
-Yeah.
-Okay?
We just-- We keep at it
like we always do.
Keep going.
Stay in the saddle.
You know,
maybe we give it a shot
with just you on acoustic,
Roy on piano.
I can't, Jon.
No, I can't
I can't even listen to it.
It just makes me nauseous.
[Bruce sighs]
It's a process.
All right? We're getting a lot
of what we're after.
Maybe not everything,
but a lot.
I know, Jon. I know.
I know
we got good stuff, right?
But it's these songs,
"Nebraska," "Mansion"
What they're doing with
"Atlantic City," it's just
It's not working. Right?
And these songs, you know,
they matter to me.
Okay, hear me out.
Just hear me out.
Let's Let's put that tape
aside for now.
Okay? We revisit it.
It ain't going anywhere
and neither are we.
We've got an incredible
take on "Cover Me"
which, thankfully, we didn't
give to Donna Summer.
We have "Glory Days,"
"I'm Goin' Down,"
and a knockout "I'm on Fire."
And don't forget,
we've got "Born in the U.S.A."
Did I tell you
what Iovine said
about "Born in the U.S.A."?
He was blown away.
Blown away.
He said the album's done.
That it could be
"Born in the U.S.A."
and ten other tracks,
and nobody would care.
He said with that song
leading, nothing else matters.
At this rate,
we'll have an album
mixed and mastered in no time.
Maybe even a month.
That's a record for us.
And this stuff, you know,
it's an evolution, Bruce.
[folk music playing,
"Highway Patrolman"]
My name is Joe Roberts
I work for the state
Okay, baby,
I think we gotta go.
I'm a sergeant
Out of Perrineville
Barracks number eight
I always done
An honest job
As honest as I could
[Bruce, on answering machine]
Hey, it's me.
Leave me a message.
I got a brother
Named Franky
[Faye] Hey, Bruce.
Would you pick up?
And Franky ain't no good
Where were you today?
Now ever
Since we was young kids
[Faye]
Bruce, I know you're there.
It's been
The same come down
I get a call
On the short-wave
Franky's in trouble
Downtown
Well, if it was
Any other man
[Bruce] That's it.
That's the sound, Jon.
I wanna get Batlan over here.
We transfer everything
directly from this tape.
All right? No No changes.
No nothing. Exactly as it is.
All right?
Okay.
Franky laughin'
And drinkin'
[music ends]
We're really doing this?
I mean
unless you want us all
to look for a new job,
yes, you're really doing it.
[folk music playing,
Bruce Springsteen "Nebraska"]
I can't say that I'm sorry
For the things
Nah, it's not the same.
That we done
It's not the same.
We're in one
of the best recording studios
in the world
trying to make it better.
We're just making it worse.
At least
For a little while, sir
I don't wanna
make it better, Jon.
Me and her
We had us some fun
I just
I just wanna get back to
what happened in the bedroom.
That's it.
brought
In a guilty verdict
[Bruce sighs]
Gonna put the others
on the shelf.
"Born in the U.S.A."
"I'm On Fire," "Glory Days."
This is what
we're putting out, okay?
These songs, just as they are.
prison storeroom
With leather straps
Across
Chuck, you just
master directly off the tape.
Please.
Directly off the tape.
Man,
I love "Born in the U.S.A."
[Jimmy] This is nuts, Jon.
You know it. I know it.
And somewhere deep inside,
Bruce knows it.
-All right.
- That's what he's doing.
I'm not going there, Jimmy.
But, you know, I
Yeah, I don't understand
putting this stuff aside.
Bruce knows how good it is.
And as his former engineer,
you understand how good it is.
You know what it is.
"Born in the U.S.A."
is exactly
what he needs right now.
The only shelf
he should put this on
is a shelf in a record store,
- not in his recording studio.
-I told him.
-He's not--
- That's it.
Jimmy, listen to me.
Right now, he's doing
this other stuff. Okay?
What other stuff?
Well, you know,
the acoustic stuff.
The songs
he recorded in his bedroom.
[shouts] The folk album?
He's gonna put out
a f*cking folk album?
Jimmy, Jesus. [sighs]
That's insane.
I think he's afraid
of what's coming.
You know,
how big it could get.
You know, success,
it's complicated for Bruce.
And these
these songs are about
someone who is guilty.
And he feels guilty
of leaving behind
the world he comes from.
The world he knows.
Losing that connection.
-Mm-hmm.
-It's eating him alive.
You know, I can't
I can't reach him.
Well, they blew up
The chicken man
In Philly last night
Now they blew up
His house too
Down on the boardwalk
They're getting ready
I know.
The distortion is still there.
I I can't get rid of it.
Look,
Bruce, you cut this
on equipment
that doesn't exactly meet
our usual standards.
I can keep trying,
but this is a very
unconventional situation.
I don't care how
unconventional it is, Chuck.
But it
it wasn't recorded properly,
and the distortion
is a result of that--
-I
-Hey, hey, hey.
That's it. Okay?
Everybody
We're done
for the night, guys.
Everybody out.
[Bruce sighs]
[Jon]
What are we dealing with here?
You know, they do want hits
and not a not a breakdown.
I mean, is this about
the record? Or is this
Because I'm I'm out
of my depth on this one.
[Bruce] Yeah, well, something
just doesn't feel right.
You know?
-Right.
-But those songs,
they're the only thing
making sense to me right now.
It's the only thing
I can still believe in.
Then we'll get it.
Whatever it takes.
Okay?
We'll get it.
[man] I'll have to adjust
the depth and the distance
between the grooves
by hand, the old way,
and cut it
at an incredibly low level,
so the needle doesn't dig
too deeply into the vinyl.
But people have knobs, right?
They can
turn it up themselves.
Well, I'd rather
they didn't have to, Dennis,
but we have no choice.
And, when I say that,
we have no choice.
Look, as long as Bruce knows
I only have old gear.
Let's give it a shot.
Yeah, great.
-Where's the case for this?
-[scoffs]
I have no idea.
[screeching]
[distorted guitar playing]
[rock music playing,
"I'm On Fire"]
There you go.
You want me to top that?
-Thank you, sweetheart.
-Enjoy.
Anybody else?
Hey, little girl
Is your daddy home?
Did he go away
And leave you all alone?
I got a bad desire
Oh, oh, oh, I'm on fire
Tell me now, baby
Is he good to you?
Can he do to you
The things that I do?
No, no
I can take you higher
Oh, oh, oh, I'm on fire
Sometimes it's like
Someone took a knife
Baby, edgy and dull
And cut a six-inch valley
Through the middle
Of my skull
[phone ringing]
[Bruce, on answering machine]
Hey, it's me.
Leave me a message.
[Jon]
If you're there, pick up.
Just give me a call
when you can
'cause I'm getting
a bit worried here.
Oh, I'm on fire
Okay, amigo.
Oh, oh, oh, I'm on fire
Oh, oh, I'm on fire
That's it, Jon.
That's everything I wanted.
That's it.
We got it.
The echo. Every imperfection.
The emotional atmosphere.
It's the cassette,
ready for vinyl.
And it's the story
you wanted to tell.
Okay, we just
we can't let them
make it something
that it's not.
Right?
No singles, no tours,
no press. All right?
We have to let this album
breathe on its own.
This will be your first record
without a tour to support it.
-So not even any press?
-No.
We might need
to give the label
something to work with.
No, no. Jon,
I don't even want to be
on the cover, okay?
I don't wanna
have to explain it.
I don't even know if I can.
All right?
Thank you.
There's just one more track
I have to lay down.
[folk music playing,
"My Father's House"]
Last night I dreamed that
I was a child
Out where the pines grow
Wild and tall
I was trying to
Make it home
Through the forest
Before the darkness falls
I heard the wind rustling
Through the trees
And ghostly voices
Rose from the fields
I ran
With my heart pounding
Down that broken path
With the devil
Snappin' at my heels
I broke through the trees
And there in the night
My father's house stood
Shining hard and bright
The branches and brambles
Tore my clothes
And scratched my arms
But I ran till I fell
Shaking in his arms
I awoke and I imagined
The hard things
That pulled us apart
What do you want?
Will never again, sir
Just to hear your voice.
Tear us
From each other's hearts
I got dressed
And to that house
I did ride
From out on the road
I could see
Its windows shining in light
I walked up
So it's like this
the whole way through?
Yeah. And this is what
the final master's
gonna sound like?
Yeah.
Okay.
Stop it. Let's
Pause it. Just stop for
Can we stop it?
'Cause I've heard
We've heard
I told her my story
You recognize this is a
highly unorthodox career move.
Right, Jon?
I mean,
I gotta be honest with you.
I don't understand this.
I don't understand why
an artist
would make this record.
It's a departure, Al.
Yeah, departure.
I'm surprised
Bruce even played it for you
because it sounds
like an accident.
You know,
it sounds unfinished.
That's the point.
I mean,
I'll spare you the details of
how far we went
to preserve that sound.
Well,
it's bold.
And I appreciate it.
It's just not for me,
and it
I don't Actually,
I don't know who it's for.
What I'd like to say is,
"Hey, take this back.
Bring me another record,
one with some some
some g*dd*mn hits on it."
Right? [laughs]
But
you know, I know you guys,
and I know
that's not gonna happen. So
-That's not gonna happen.
-Mm-hmm.
Here's the thing.
We're grateful to have
any new Bruce Springsteen
record. Right?
Because nobody but Bruce
can tell stories like these.
But radio can't play this.
-I understand.
-I mean, how are they gonna
You know.
Are there radio edits
of these songs?
No, this is it.
Okay.
We will handle this
the best we can,
we'll do
everything we can to
to protect it and release it
and and give it
all it deserves.
That's great.
And we thank you, Al.
But
you should know.
No singles, no tour, no press.
[Al laughs]
-No, really?
-No joke.
He's not even putting his face
on the album cover.
What?
-Nothing.
-You're being serious?
This is not gonna be good
for either one of us.
I'm not asking
for your understanding.
And I'm not here to explain
Bruce's thinking
or justify
his artistic choices.
I am here to make sure
the album is released
precisely the way he wants.
-That's it.
-Yeah.
Okay.
Whether or not you believe
in this particular album,
in this office,
my office,
we believe
in Bruce Springsteen.
[Faye] yet another dinner.
There's a club,
there's the sandwich.
That was it, right?
Okay. Enjoy.
All right.
You ready to order?
Uh, yeah, I think so.
You don't have a menu.
But I think I know
what you want.
It's the usual, right?
The omelet with the toast,
and a coffee.
I'm sorry
I didn't get you your menu.
Oh, that's fine, Faye.
Why are you doing this?
I didn't know how to face you.
[Faye]
It's not about facing me.
Look, we both knew
that this was casual at first.
But things changed.
I thought maybe we changed.
I know you did.
I don't know
how to love you any better
or any more
than the way I do now.
And I know that's not enough.
I'm lost here.
I'm buried here.
That's why
I'm headed to California.
What?
I bought a house in L.A.
You know, it's the first thing
I've ever had that's mine,
that I own, and
I need to go out there
on my own.
You're moving to Los Angeles
and you wait
until now to tell me?
Well, I didn't know.
I was trying
to find the right time,
but there's never been
a right time.
You think
this is about timing?
This isn't
about California, Bruce.
This is about you running away
from everything
that scares you.
From us.
From what we could be.
And don't give me that
"it's not you, it's me" crap.
I know you're scared.
I've seen it every time
you look at Haley.
Every time you look at me,
you think
that you're protecting us
by pushing us away,
but you're just hiding--
I don't wanna hurt you, Faye.
I don't wanna hurt anyone.
I've done enough
of that already.
Then what about facing it?
What about actually
dealing with your sh*t,
instead of running from it?
You say that you can't love me
like I deserve
but the truth is,
you won't even try.
Because trying
means facing yourself,
and that terrifies you.
And Haley and I,
we are not here to play house.
-We are real people.
-Yeah, I know that.
I believed in you.
I believed that you could be
the man you pretend to be.
You know,
I think you're right.
I think you should go,
because until you can
be honest with yourself,
you're never gonna be
honest with me.
Faye.
I gotta get back to work.
I hope you find what you're
looking for in California.
I really do.
I really do.
You all right?
[clears throat]
[sobbing]
[melancholy music playing]
[Bruce] This thing runs
in my blood, Jon.
My pops, aunts, cousins.
Like poison.
You know
what Flannery O'Connor says.
"Where you come from is gone.
And where you thought you were
going to, was never there.
And nothing outside of you
can give you any place.
In yourself, right now,
is the only place you got."
Come on.
Let me buy you breakfast.
You look like
you could use some pancakes.
No, I'm good, Jon.
I'm just gonna hang here.
All right.
I got something for you.
Okay.
[grunts]
Let's just listen.
Okay.
[gospel music playing,
"The Last Mile Of The Way"]
Ready?
-More coffee? Okay.
-I'm okay.
[country music on radio,
Conway Twitty "Hello Darlin'"]
So Boise City and then
Three days, maybe four.
I think she's right.
g*dd*mn it, she's right.
[tense music playing]
[county fair worker]
Come on up and guess
the weight of the prize hog.
A dollar a guess.
Winner takes all.
[tense music continues]
[county fair worker]
A dollar a guess.
Winner takes all.
Winner takes all.
Come on, folks.
[breathing shakily]
[echoes] You okay?
Bruce, you okay?
- Hey.
-[Bruce grunts]
What's going on?
Hey, hey, hey.
-Look at me, look at me, yeah?
-[panting]
Just breathe, okay?
Nice and slow, yeah?
[normal voice] Okay. I'm here.
[panting]
Yeah.
Let's get out of here.
[Matt] I, uh I don't know
what to do, Jon.
He's not right.
[Jon] It's that bad, huh?
I don't know, man.
I've never seen him
like this before.
Okay, you just get him to L.A.
-All right.
- Quick as you can.
I'll keep you updated.
[Matt] You want a sandwich
or something?
Nah, nah, we get outta here.
-Yeah?
-Yeah.
-All right, buddy.
-All right.
[melancholy music playing]
[Bruce] Thank you.
For everything.
Yeah, bud. You got it.
You know
I'm just a phone call away.
Yeah.
Hey, Brucie.
[Jon] You made it.
[Bruce] Nights are getting
longer, Jon.
Blacker.
I've tried, Jon.
You know, I've tried, but
I don't know
if I can outrun it anymore.
Listen, I know
that I've helped you
through some
very difficult times.
But
I'm not equipped for this.
[mumbles] Uh
You're not well.
You need professional help.
[Bruce mumbles]
I don't think
I need to see a
Jon, you're
you're not saying
I mean
I just want my life
to make sense again.
I want it to stop feeling
like I'm slipping away.
I'm gonna get you the support
that you need.
Just please promise me
that you won't do anything
until you hear from me, okay?
Just hold on.
Just a little longer.
[therapist] I know it can be
a bit daunting
taking the first step.
[Bruce] Hmm.
[therapist] So I want you
to tell me as much,
or as little as you want,
as to what brought you
in here today.
[chuckles]
[Bruce] Thank you.
Feels good to be back
out there. [panting]
I'm finding my way, Jonny.
-[fan 1] That was so good!
-[fan 2] It was so great.
-Great show, Boss.
-Thanks, Steve.
For tonight and worry about
tomorrow morning.
-What do you think?
-Yeah,
I think we can
definitely do that.
-[Bruce's mother] Look at you.
-Hey.
Come here. Ah.
Hi.
Never tired of dancing
with my boy. [chuckles]
Thanks, Ma.
Where's Pop?
-He's inside.
-Okay.
He wants a moment
alone with you.
-Yeah?
-Yeah. Yeah.
Okay. [chuckles]
Love you.
There he is.
-Hey, Son.
-Hey.
[chuckles]
Come here.
Sit on my lap.
Huh?
Come on.
Uh
I'm soaking wet, Pop,
and I'm 32 years old.
Come on.
Okay. [chuckles]
-[Bruce grunts]
-[chuckles]
[both chuckle]
You know, you've been
really good
to your mom and me.
The house, the money,
all of it.
[Bruce] Hmm.
I just wanna thank you.
And tell you how
[breathes heavily]
I'm really proud of you.
[breathes shakily]
I know I wasn't always good.
I
But it's done.
You did the best you could.
You had your own battles
to fight.
It's okay.
[breathes shakily]
It's okay.
[melancholy music plays]
[kisses]
[sniffles]
Never sat on your lap before.
Never?
No, never.
You sure?
Yeah.
Hmm.
[drums playing]
[crowd cheering]
[guitar playing chord]
[Bruce] Well, they blew up
The chicken man
In Philly last night
Now they blew up
His house, too
Down on the boardwalk
They're gettin' ready
For a hell of a fight
Gonna see what
Those racket boys can do
Now there's trouble busin'
In from outta state
And the DA
Can't get no relief
Gonna be a rumble out
On the promenade
And the gambling
Commission's hanging on
By the skin of its teeth
Everything dies, baby
That's a fact
But maybe
Everything that dies
Someday comes back
Put your makeup on
Fix your hair real pretty
And meet me tonight
In Atlantic City
[music continues]
[Bruce] Well I got a job and
Tried to put my money away
But I got debts
That no honest man can pay
So I drew what I had
From the Central Trust
And I bought us two tickets
On that Coast City bus
Everything dies, baby
That's a fact
But maybe
Everything that dies
Someday comes back
Put your makeup on
Fix your hair real pretty
And meet me tonight
In Atlantic City
Oh, now our luck
May have died
And our love may be cold
But with you
Forever I'll stay
Yeah
Goin' out where the sand's
Turning to gold
So put on
Your stockings, baby
'Cause the night's
Getting cold
And maybe everything dies
Baby, that's a fact
But maybe
Everything that dies
Someday comes back
And maybe someday
One, two three!
[music ends]
[instrumental music plays]
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Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (2025)
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