Springsteen, Bruce - Stray Bullet Lyrics

Masterpiece after masterpiece.

Canzone bellissima! La vice di Bruce e molto malinconica!! 😧🤔💟💟😍😍😍😘😇💓💓

Harry Hole listen this short after monster killed her Rachel. Isn't it enough? "To lie with you on a bed of stone."

I thought the Iceman was dark
A 8 yr old little girl was killed in a park playing'with her daddy n momma on fathers day she died'' in their arms from a stray bullet I feel my son was shot n yet 8 days in coma he lived sane time Drs mistakes my wife died in my arms so these songs feel it Deeply I feel for that lil girl n her parents

אחד הענקים שקמו בדור שלנו.חבל שאתה לא רוצה לבוא לארץ לתת הופעה!!
שיר ענק.כלבבוך רבי!

Troppo bella

Bruce is hands down one the five or ten greatest songwriters in popular music of the last century or so. Of course there are songwriters like Irving Berlin, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, the three of whom might be better compared to Ralph Waldo Emerson, Thoreau, Dickinson, etc. But of popular, or even fringe, songwriters that I am aware of Springsteen stands with Tom Waits, Joni Mitchell, Laura Nyro, Carole King, Nick Cave, Barry Gibb, Prince, Lennon/McCartney, Jagger/Richards. I see many other comments about Dylan, Bowie, Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, etc. I am not nearly as familiar with those four as I am with the ones I mentioned in the previous list, but of all that I have heard by any of those four, I think they are also fantastic.
I have Springsteen live twice. One of those times was in July 2018 on Broadway. He is also a hell of a live performer!

This is a beauty eh???

Other musicians would base an entire album around a piece of music like this. His music compositional and lyrical talent is without equal. His early live performances were, well you had to be there, glad I was.

roy on the piano...how good is he....the band at its best.

Excuse my language but how the f#$k did Crush on You make the cut and not this total masterpiece? Bruce could release an album of his greatest out takes like this and the promise.

Just heard this for the 1st time today: absolutely beautiful! Would have been one of the best songs on 'The River' ...

Just hearing it now. How in gods name did this not make it and instead we had Crush on You?

There s only one boss in the music galaxy. I hope he'll be back in short future. He Bruce please we are ready. Come on

The refrain is the same as Point Blank. His "baby getting shot" is metaphorical in both tunes. Maybe a small reason to go with the others as to why this didn't make the cut?

Springsteen needs locking up for allowing this to remain unreleased for so long, most other artists would murder to have done something half as good. Genius

This song is so haunting. It gives me the chills everytime I hear it. He decided to put wreck on the highway so I can see how he couldnt have both tracks on the final cut, but damn this song is so powerful, its brillant. This song is incredible. What a gem!!!!!

Fiume rosso sangue con gli anni
Puoi inondare questa valle con mille lacrime
Lavar via tutto ciò che trovi
Ma mai laverai via il suono

Ever since The River box set was released, I continue to feel this was one of the best 5 songs Bruce composed during the entire "River" recording sessions. Inexcusable that this was left off, although it was seriously considered. It was probably dropped because there were too many ballads on the record already, but this would have been one of the 2 best ballads on the whole record along with the title song. A stunning song, and one that is amazingly relevant to today's times.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I582JDBpTR0

......haunting......

This song is one of the 5 best songs that Bruce cut during The River sessions. Should've replaced, in my view, the long, tedious "Drive All Night" (never a favorite). This is MY version of The River album that I listen to in my car: SIDE ONE: 1) "The Ties That Bind" 2) "Jackson Cage" 3) "Loose Ends" 4) "Two Hearts" 5) "Independence Day"; SIDE TWO: 1) "Hungry Heart 2) "Out In The Street" 3) "Night Fire" 4) "Restless Nights" 5) "The River"; SIDE THREE: 1) "Point Blank" 2) "Cadillac Ranch" 3) "Where The Bands Are" 4) "I'm A Rocker" 5) "Stolen Car"; SIDE FOUR: 1) "Take 'Em As They Come" 2) "The Man Who Got Away" 3) "Roulette" 4) "Stray Bullet" 5) "Wreck On The Highway".......I really wanted to put "Mary Lou" on this record, but there just wasn't a place for it. It would've used it as a b-side ahead of "Be True" and "Held Up Without A Gun." I realize that "Mary You:" is sort of the genesis of "Be True," but I just love the chorus and Clarence's sax solo. Might have used "Chain Lightning" and "The Time That Never Was" as additional b-sides. As you can tell, I feel that many of the outtakes are better than many of the tunes on the record. I just don't get how you can put "I Wanna Marry You" on over "Take 'Em As They Come" or "Crush On You" ahead of "Roulette." And don't even get me started with the commercially compromised "Born In The USA" album.....an album that Bruce still doesn't really like because Landau picked songs like "Cover Me," "I'm Goin' Down," "I'm On Fire" and "Dancing In The Dark"  over masterpieces like "This Hard Land," "Wages Of Sin," "Frankie," "Richfield Whistle," "My Love Will Not Let You Down," "Shut Out The Light," and "Murder Incorporated" in order to make a more commercial album.

Dang, I love The River, but I gotta say I like your selections even more than what made the album. And Drive All Night just drags that fourth side down.

I'm about to go through this re-sequencing process for my own tastes also, and thus, must disagree with you about Drive All Night. That was the first song that grabbed me off the album and kept me coming back until the whole thing really started to take shape. I imagine we come from slightly different schools of thought with music. I have a tendency toward ambient / krautrock / slowcore stuff, so Drive All Night just makes sense to me. In all I like your selections, but other than Drive All Night I'd definitely include The Price You Pay. Great song imo.

Bruce leaves songs like this out of his albums and I struggle to write one song anywhere near this standard. Bruce is the man!

Some of Bruce's greatest songs have often missed the cut in my opinion. This song is nothing short of monumental! Again, the first time I heard 'The Promise' on 18 Tracks, I was rocked to my core. 'From Small Things...' is cut from a different cloth, but a perfect nugget of rock/pop. Long may we keep being surprised as these rarities surface.

This song gives me chills....simply amazing...just sit back, close your eyes and listen

Musically, perhaps Bruce's most beautiful song ever

I just listened to Stray bullets and wow , fantastic !!

How in the hell did this get left off the album in favor of 3/4 of the tracks on "The River" which is a 5 star album as it is. It's one of the most moving tracks Bruce has ever written. Moreover, why was it not included on "Tracks." I mean "Living On the Edge of World" and "Bring On The Night" are release worthy songs, but over this song?

verdadera obra de arte.

You are not a man if you do not like The Boss!

To most this would be a songwriting high point. To the boss it's an outtake.

I think it´s a mistake in the selection of The River. Bruce would like during decades  having a song like that in the schedule of his shows.

oh my goodness, hauntingly good. How were we not allowed to hear this for so long

Good question!

I know, it should be a crime!

a truly awesome song ... but what a band to back you ...

The first time I bought a Bruce Cassette back in 1985 when I was 15 years old, I was hooked on his music! I couldn't and still can't get enough of his music.

It's about Columbine

michael o'mahony it was written in the 70s so no

It's a slight if not complete copy of kmfdm stray bullet

Good god. this is so good. wow. Gezzus. Too bad it was left off the album. Man it near makes me cry, the melody, the lyrics,. Wow. This could be, the saddest song he has written, if not one of. Man you can feel the whole presence of the song

God damn it, I like this song.

I have always liked some of Bruce Springsteen's music here and there. However for the longest time i could never get into most of his music overall. Just over the last little while something clicked finally. I would say some of his work is a Grower an acquired taste for some. Iv'e always know he is a killer songwriter a damn songwriting machine. I just picked up a used copy of The River yesterday and listened to the first Disc twice over. I like what i hear only Crush On You and one other song are clunkers. Holy Shit Stray Bullet is a fantastic sad tune i wish it made the album.

I really like Crush on You lol but it is more of a pop song.

It's just incredible, the voice that Springsteen has - and I mean voice in both senses of the word. Most songwriters never have a song as great as this in their whole careers - this was a forgotten outtake. WHAT. Yeah. Amazing. Beautiful.

this song makes me so sad

Que dire c'est le Boss, celà se voit et surtout s'écoute. Dans la lignée de the river. Magnifique un point c'est tout.

Awesome. Could have easily replaced Ramrod or I'm A Rocker. Maybe he thought that musically it sounded a bit too much like The River (especially the flowing piano).

Bruce is a living legend.

just curious Pete Clark what is adult ( not little girls) music

I keep listening to it.  I like it .  such a treat since the fox in Atlanta in 78 ,  75  ish shows for me  , 30 with my son , 10 with my girls .  was so much fun.  thanks e street , thanks bruce .

love the music and of course that voice

Epic outro

Roll on June the 5th,Wembley Stadium London,going to take Stray Bullet as a "Request"

Unless it's been rehearsed by then, it's unlikely your request will get granted.

+Mr Sarajevo Before any concert they will do a sound check,but they don't rehearse as such.It a testament to how good the E Street Band is,that they can play just about any song from Springsteen's back catalogue.

@phil bell
Well, I said "unless IT'S been rehearsed." Obviously referring to the song. Soundchecking is basically a rehearse especially if the song has never been played.

On about the sixth listen the guitar broke through the mix. it builds from about 2:00 on. Incredible.

the greatest songwriter of practically all time - the body of work he has produced is truly amazing ... other songwriters would kill for some of the songs he didn't release! ... only Dylan, Neil Young, and Leonard Cohen can compare ...

redfmusic Don't forget Mark Knopfler! But you're right!

Neil young and Dylan and Cohen none of them compare in my mind!

Unbelievable - only Bruce wouldn't put this on an album!

the music, that voice...the pace and melody. Just another awesome piece of work. A legend with a remarkable gift.

This should have made the cut for The River back in 1980.

Does anyone know who is singing backup vocals on this? Is it Bruce?

+Bill Thompson , it is.

Frank Sinatra Jr. does the background vocals.

Wow, ohne Worte, Gänsehaut...

The true measure of Springsteen's genius is the quality of some of his outtakes, and this one is up withheld very finest.

Dylan eats up Bruce as a song writer and so do The Beatles and a lot of other artists. Bruce writes basic stuff using too many cliques and nursery rhymes. It's all a bit over blown and heavy handed. I get the theme though...' maybe the common guy can one night break the chains that surround him and break away to another place.' Where exactly that place is Bruce has never told us...nor does it matter because it's all fiction. I'll take Dylan's lyrics from 'It's Not dark Yet' and chew on it because it lasts longer and feels real.'Feels like my soul has turned into steelStill got the scars that the sun didn't heal'

+roger1744 It's not all fiction brother:  
"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?"

+John Walker  He said once, "The wind washes away the rain, and you learn to walk among the remains." I know the challenger he built from scratch in the song 'The Promise' was just a metaphor for all the songs he once wrote and then no longer owned. A promise was broken by a friend...but like the man says, ' When the promise is broken you go livin'... but it steals something from down in your soul.'

+John Walker" Is a dream ALIVE if it don't come true or is it something ELSE ?" This is the original last line to The River when the song was first written, but it eventually got changed. Just like on the early version of The Promise Bruce wrote, "Once I had a girl who loved me so, I guess I loved her too if I had to say" . This line ended up being " I won big once and I hit the coast, but somehow I paid the big cost."

Imagine The River with this amazing song preceding Point Blank.

The song should have replaced "Drive All Night" for me.

Super that's why he is the Boss

I'm sure this one has little parts remaining from the original. The lead vocal and rythm guitar are the only elements truly reminding of The River album sound. The sax, piano and final electric guitar solo were added recently in my opinion.

+Youtubax You are apparently correct. This is from brucebase about the song: "Note: Recorded at The Power Station on February 24, March 9 and April 10, 1980. Beautiful, brooding ballad with some potentially modern elements, but the main vocal is probably contemporary with the River sessions. Included on an April 1980 shortlist for the double-album."

If true it would be very interesting to hear the arrangement of the version that just missed the cut.  I think the vocal is vintage, the guitar solo recent, not sure about the piano and sax.  But if someone other than Clemons played it, that should be made known.  For me none of this detracts from this absolute masterwork.

+John Walker Actually I think it's a horn rather than a sax. Curt Ramm?

Sounds like a Clarinet to me.. but who knows?

Springsteen is probably the only artist in the world who can afford dropping out a song like this from his final released record.

I love it beside the 250 others one songs witch make it difficult for me to choose the best one * * * * *

+Jessie Lavigne amen!!!!!

This is my favourite Bruce song and thats after 40 years of playing his work

I would think that it was too close to the River and the other songs. It may have been too close. A Writer like Bruce has to make difficult choices.

well it's a lot like Restless Nights musically. But of course that was left off too...
I wouldn't say Bruce made all the best choices when it came to The River.

Tutte le volte che ascolto questa canzone mi commuovo!! 😢E molto toccante !!!non conosco l,inglese!! 🤗🤗😘😘♥️♥️💗💗💗💗💗💓💓💔💔💔💋

Absolutely amazing

Most of the songs Springsteen cut that did not make it on the river deserved to remain on the cutting room floor.
But this Stray Bullets is one terrific tune. Ranking right up there with any other song that made the final cut.
Great stuff

Are you saying that this song is as good as Independence Day or The River or Two Hearts ? If you are, you're nuts bro.

Rich Henderson
Roger. I guess he is saying that and I agree.

roger1744 oh it's better but it's just an opinion. This song is unbelievable.

Don't agree. I would have replaced "Sherry," "Crush," "You Can Look, "I Wanna Marry You," "Fade Away," "Ramrod," and "Drive All Night" with "Stray Bullet," "Night Fire," "Take 'em As They Come," "Roulette," "Restless Nights," "The Man Who Got Away," "Loose Ends, and "Where The Bands Are." "Mary Lou," "Chain Lightning" and "The Time That Never Was" as b-sides.

not as good, better

Long time fan, just heard this song for the very first time, how the Hell did this not make it onto the River, way better than Wreck on the Highway. The Boss is a true genius, but he made some bewildering song choices at times - Zero and Blind Terry, Evacuation of the West, Wages of Sin, how did such incredible songs not make it onto his albums?

+Hunger Cult Films Ltd well, wreck fits better with closing the theme of the river album. the american highway as a river metaphor and he even kills off the btr song in sense. so wreck is win-win for bruce on several levels and it does wrap up that album well. stray is looking ahead more at what was to come, aka nebraska. unfortunately the song doesn't fit there either, nor on bitusa. so what to do but toss it aside. its definitely one of the best outtakes in this collection though, for sure, so at least we finally can get to hear it now.

The song is simply amazing haunting and beautiful. The piano takes you with it on its journey.

How possibly could he keep this song in the vault for so many years?

+Stefanos Kapiris 35 years !

It's not Jungleland bro ! It's a decent song, so leave it at that.

@roger1744
Still better than many others that ended up in 'The River'.

How the hell did this get left off the album?? Let alone, a DOUBLE ALBUM? This would be the most popular song on any album by any other artist. This is just Insane. Amazing Bruce

Stunning, gorgeous... superlatives fail me. I close my eyes and this track simply transports me into the world Bruce is describing. Clarence's sax reminds me of Branford Marsalis. Bruce's vocal delivery, the lyrics and Steve's falsetto are bullets of pure emotion yet not a shred of sentimentality or sap. CLASSIC.

Just when I thought The River couldn't get any sadder.....

great stuff from a living legend.

Driving home she grabs something to eat, turns the corner and drives down her street......

that's jackson cage

unbelievable, never released offical on an album. This a hammer song, soft deep balade, great accustic final. Hopefully some radio station will play this masterpiece in these days.

+tomfie What is so sad and shameful is that Radio won't. Costello was right: "radio is in the hands of such a lot of fools that want to anesthetize the way that you feel."

In my opinion Springsteen is the greatest songwriter of all time....even his outtakes are classics.

completly agree ...

Pete Clark
We can all be selective when making comparisons. Massive admirer of both artists, so don't demean either.

The beatles 😂😂

Absolute best i love this song

Darkness had a lot of great songs hit the cutting room floor too.

I would say Nebraska and BITU as well

Wonderful!

What a beautiful and moving song. Nothing hits like Springsteen.

How did they let this absolute masterpiece sit in the vault for 35 years?

+Mark Provenzano I agree with everyone- the song is an absolute masterpiece. 2 reasons it sat I think: Springsteen felt it didn't quite fit into his vision of the The River, and he probably knew it would blow everyone away down the line. Dylan too has left songs off records that came out later that made people wonder: Blind Willie McTell, Foot of Pride, Red River Shore, among others. With these guys you just have to trust their judgement- they know WTF they're doing.

It was that c***sucker Laundou"s decision. Whatever he says, Bruce does. What a shame.

That fucking Landau. He probably gave thumbs down to "The Time That Never Was" too. The Bastard.

Would that be a Mister JohN Landau you are talking about ?

he has so many!