The song is about the firefighters who responded to the Twin Towers on 9/11. The "sixty pound stone" is the gear they carried on their backs as they climbed all of the stairs. The "half mile of line" is the line that bound the firemen together so no one got left behind. The entire Rising album is a tribute to everyone involved in 9/11, victims, families, first responders etc. He wanted to show how the Jersey area how affected but would "rise up" from such a tragedy
My life at one point was lost … I came this close of losing it …thought of throwing in the towel…one afternoon, this song hit me in gut… keeping the fire burning in me that’s one damn SOB telling us all never to give up…the most sacred of our soul is the will to live in the face of utter hopelessness…this one has that spirit. If USA needs another anthem we‘ve got one. The BOSS of us all, please keep singing for those who don’t have a voice, “a common man”.
Check out VH1 Storytellers DVD 2005...he plays 8 different songs in a small seeing, acoustic/piano and walks you thru the lyrics of those songs. The Rising is one of them. See what you think...
Anyone who was living in the NY/NJ area around 9/11 gets this...whoever doesn't..oh, well. It still hurts and uplifts at the same time to hear this. thanks, Bruce!
How many of you are listening to this in 2011 for WTC - 10th Year Anniversary...Beautiful for Song for the Tragedy that Happened in New York!! The Boss Still Has it!!
Yep--they played this song here today in front of over 75,000 people at the Portland waterfront ( more than double his highest rally anywhere else thus far ). Oregon should undoubtedly go Obama this Tues which could put him over the top of the required delegates to get the democratic nomination...
he won last year but it sucked that it didn't even show bruce getting the award on stage:(!the new album is great & i bet it will beat taylor swift's album since she was #1 for 7 weeks.please bruce should up at the grammys!!
@mlmr11 What?? This song is about an FDNY firefighter, a hero in my book, plain and simple. Anybody can see this, and why claim otherwise? This event changed America, for better and for worse. Let us honor those who gave their lives for others. We are ten year on, I struggle to forgive those who did this (or at least stop hating them so deeply), and those of us who so thoroughly botched our responses. I am proud of those great ones at FDNY, NYPD, and others who gave everything for others.
@broncobra His trademark is to write lyrics ambiguous and open for interpretation . This song may have been inspired by 9-11 but , in typical Bruce writing, he removes himself from the event to write a number about whatever the listener would want it to be about. The song does not mention 9-11 or firefighters. That is just a plain fact. You are a vulgar person with bully tactics and I will not discuss this further with you.
hi my name is lisalove and i'm a big boss fan since i was only sixteen yeaars and now i'm 41 and i'm still a big boss fan, and i find that the rising cd should have won all five grammy awards, not three, the reason why i'm saying this because he worked too hard on this cd,and so he should've gotten all five not nora jones, her song does not have any meaning at all and i find that they have cheated bruce springsteen, and i also find that the song the rising should've gottenalbum of the year lisa
Yep, always loved Bruce, but the fans drive me nuts -- I like to hear the music and not catcalls of BRUUUUCE and all that. I also cannot abide a concert where I can't talk to someone and say, "Good show"... just the price of being awesome, I guess, and having everyone know. Having a cup of coffee or something with Bruce is on many folks' bucket list, I'm sure. Certainly on mine. I admire genius and want to get close to it, to know it.
I don't think he is performing this year at the grammy's (although I think he should every year!). He won three awards (Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance, Best Rock Song--both for Radio Nowhere, and Best Rock Instrumental Performance for Once Upon a Time in the West) at the 2007 50th Grammy Awards wich was last year. This year, he is up for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance and Best Rock Song, again, for Girls in Their Summer Clothes. I love the Magic album and his new one is fantastic!!!
@Robinson2213 I'm 2 mo's older than Bruce is at 60. He's been the soundtrack of my life ever since 1972, living in Greenwish Village, getting married, moving to Jersey, having kids, driving by his concerts at Giants Stadium day after day. I must have listened to his songs over 100,000 times in the last 40 years.
I know; we got the Salsa King Willie Colon!!! You have the boss, we have the salsa king..lol either one(HRC or BO) we'll make a great prez, but when your born and raised in NYC like me, when you have a chance to send a NY senator to the white house you take it.
I know; we got the Salsa King Willie Colon!!! You have the boss, we have the salsa king..lol either one(HRC or BO) we'll make a great prez, but when your born and raised in NYC like me, when you have a chance to send a NY senator to the white house you take it.
But the great thing about this song is it's about rebuilding. And as with Bruce's new anthem "Working on a Dream" we can hope that this darkness will finally lift and wounds can finally heal
@Gilbs112 watch pretty much any other performance of this song, and you'll see Stevie(aka the guy with the hat) sharing the mic with Bruce and Patti. He always does it
Ha!You're no better than someone whose severely mentally disabled sidewalkpilot!My apologies to any people with mental disabilities for comparing you to sidewalkpilot....
This was the first song I listened to when i was 5. And when my parents said I couldnt go see Bruce cause i was only 5, i was pissed. But now i think I can go since im 14 now XD.
This is pretty impressive...and inspiring. To be so real...and so uplifting...in such a shallow pretentious and fake Awards ceremony. Awesome stuff Bruce!
Well, then, I must have been to an especially loutish group, then. I don't do well with crowds and all that, and the noise level (and music level, too) really hurts me at a rock concert. One of the dreams of my life is to see Bruce in a small club, and get to shake his hand and thank him for all he does, on and off stage. I'm sure I'm not alone in that.
@wavinglight good story, but live your life for the goodness and individuality in YOU...YOU are unique and have lots of value...you don't need perceived idols to make you feel good about yourself =)
Actually, his album The Rising was a direct reaction/reflection on September 11, 2001. If you think about it, this song is supposed to be from a firefighter's point-of-view (at least that is what I think, I could be wrong!)). You are correct, however, when you say he has played it for political things and has political connections, etc.
I think one of Bruce's main goals in anything he makes is trying to give hope back to Americans, especially ones who need to here that things will get better! You are sooo correct there! One of my favorite songs by him is Promised Land (which I think he has used to help support his political views and candidates also). I was at work and unfortunatly did not get to see Obama win, but I did get to hear his speech on the radio. Bruce speaks to us all--right to the heart of America.
NEW JERSEY COME ON UP FOR THE RISING I am just a small person on this planet, but if there is anything I can do to help, put me in coach I'm ready to play. Clarence is up there shouting Come on New Jersey get up and GO BABY GO Governor Christie I pray for you and all of New Jersey. I pray for an abundance of resources to be available for the people of your state.
Sensational music from The Boss. Just waiting to see and hear him perform tonight at Barack Obama's inauguration concert tonight. This fills me with so much emotion. Go Barack & Bruce !!!
It is called INTENSITY and being totally lost in his craft...go to youtube THE RISING STORYTELLERS where he is alone on his acoustic and see what you think.
Bruce is simply amazing!! Untill now i´ve seen his 34 times, this summer i will see him in Torino, Rome, Sevilla and Compostela and in October, New Jersey! Long live the Boss!!!!!!!!
The power of a man who can't be torn down...The Boss!
Well said Dallas ...
Bruce Springsteen is the hardest working living man in show business, and calling his E Street Band a backing band is an understatement.
The song is about the firefighters who responded to the Twin Towers on 9/11. The "sixty pound stone" is the gear they carried on their backs as they climbed all of the stairs. The "half mile of line" is the line that bound the firemen together so no one got left behind.
The entire Rising album is a tribute to everyone involved in 9/11, victims, families, first responders etc. He wanted to show how the Jersey area how affected but would "rise up" from such a tragedy
My life at one point was lost … I came this close of losing it …thought of throwing in the towel…one afternoon, this song hit me in gut… keeping the fire burning in me that’s one damn SOB telling us all never to give up…the most sacred of our soul is the will to live in the face of utter hopelessness…this one has that spirit. If USA needs another anthem we‘ve got one. The BOSS of us all, please keep singing for those who don’t have a voice, “a common man”.
Check out VH1 Storytellers DVD 2005...he plays 8 different songs in a small seeing, acoustic/piano and walks you thru the lyrics of those songs. The Rising is one of them. See what you think...
Perfect exaltation of the firefighters, of all who died.
Anyone who was living in the NY/NJ area around 9/11 gets this...whoever doesn't..oh, well. It still hurts and uplifts at the same time to hear this. thanks, Bruce!
How many of you are listening to this in 2011 for WTC - 10th Year Anniversary...Beautiful for Song for the Tragedy that Happened in New York!! The Boss Still Has it!!
HE is the Boss
:-))))
What a song and what a performer. Thanks for posting.
little stevens
Yep--they played this song here today in front of over 75,000 people at the Portland waterfront ( more than double his highest rally anywhere else thus far ).
Oregon should undoubtedly go Obama this Tues which could put him over the top of the required delegates to get the democratic nomination...
he won last year but it sucked that it didn't even show bruce getting the award on stage:(!the new album is great & i bet it will beat taylor swift's album since she was #1 for 7 weeks.please bruce should up at the grammys!!
I like Nils' place for holding his slide, very smart. And I've always loved the way Bruce strums seven barrels of shit out of his 'teles
wow, first time seeing this. search Facebook for my note, "Still Rising" not inspired by this song but by memories of 9-11. great song too. :-)
@mlmr11 What?? This song is about an FDNY firefighter, a hero in my book, plain and simple. Anybody can see this, and why claim otherwise? This event changed America, for better and for worse. Let us honor those who gave their lives for others. We are ten year on, I struggle to forgive those who did this (or at least stop hating them so deeply), and those of us who so thoroughly botched our responses. I am proud of those great ones at FDNY, NYPD, and others who gave everything for others.
@broncobra His trademark is to write lyrics ambiguous and open for interpretation . This song may have been inspired by 9-11 but , in typical Bruce writing, he removes himself from the event to write a number about whatever the listener would want it to be about. The song does not mention 9-11 or firefighters. That is just a plain fact.
You are a vulgar person with bully tactics and I will not discuss this further with you.
hi my name is lisalove and i'm a big boss fan since i was only sixteen yeaars and now i'm 41 and i'm still a big boss fan, and i find that the rising cd should have won all five grammy awards, not three, the reason why i'm saying this because he worked too hard on this cd,and so he should've gotten all five not nora jones, her song does not have any meaning at all and i find that they have cheated bruce springsteen, and i also find that the song the rising should've gottenalbum of the year lisa
Yep, always loved Bruce, but the fans drive me nuts -- I like to hear the music and not catcalls of BRUUUUCE and all that. I also cannot abide a concert where I can't talk to someone and say, "Good show"... just the price of being awesome, I guess, and having everyone know.
Having a cup of coffee or something with Bruce is on many folks' bucket list, I'm sure. Certainly on mine. I admire genius and want to get close to it, to know it.
I don't think he is performing this year at the grammy's (although I think he should every year!). He won three awards (Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance, Best Rock Song--both for Radio Nowhere, and Best Rock Instrumental Performance for Once Upon a Time in the West) at the 2007 50th Grammy Awards wich was last year. This year, he is up for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance and Best Rock Song, again, for Girls in Their Summer Clothes. I love the Magic album and his new one is fantastic!!!
The risisng was the record of< the year indeed not Norah Jones boring album.Bruce is the best all time
@Robinson2213 I'm 2 mo's older than Bruce is at 60. He's been the soundtrack of my life ever since 1972, living in Greenwish Village, getting married, moving to Jersey, having kids, driving by his concerts at Giants Stadium day after day. I must have listened to his songs over 100,000 times in the last 40 years.
u right about that!the grammys cheated bruce off and he was nominated for this album twice and lost!
I know; we got the Salsa King Willie Colon!!!
You have the boss, we have the salsa king..lol
either one(HRC or BO) we'll make a great prez, but when your born and raised in NYC like me, when you have a chance to send a NY senator to the white house you take it.
I know; we got the Salsa King Willie Colon!!!
You have the boss, we have the salsa king..lol
either one(HRC or BO) we'll make a great prez, but when your born and raised in NYC like me, when you have a chance to send a NY senator to the white house you take it.
will bruce perform this year at the grammy awards?did he win a grammy award back in 2002 or 2003?
The greatest songwriter & perfomer of our time. Such a powerful performance. The king of Rock!!
But the great thing about this song is it's about rebuilding. And as with Bruce's new anthem "Working on a Dream" we can hope that this darkness will finally lift and wounds can finally heal
@Gilbs112 watch pretty much any other performance of this song, and you'll see Stevie(aka the guy with the hat) sharing the mic with Bruce and Patti. He always does it
Ha!You're no better than someone whose severely mentally disabled sidewalkpilot!My apologies to any people with mental disabilities for comparing you to sidewalkpilot....
For the life of me I don't understand how Bruce didn't win 'Album of the Year'. I'm assuming it's all about politics, money....and youth.
@Pleistocene01 I refuse to honor, they ran into burning buildings voluntarily or were paid and ordered to do so. Honor your cat.
Bruce's efforts are a thousand times stronger, more humane, meaningful, more United and more powerful than all of George Bush's.
This is what we call REAL MUSIC.
This sounds like uninspired generic gospel rock. How the fuck did this win a grammy over "Smells Like Teen Spirit"?!??!
I wouldnt go that far.....close tho....maybe your right. But lets not think of the world without The Boss.
I have seen the past, present and future of rock and it is Springsteen. Apologies to Jon Landau.
straordinarioooooooooo magnifico stupendo unico ...ke dire si riman a bocca aperta Quando fara il prossimo concerto in italia?
nothing against The Boss, but he makes the WORST faces during the la-la-la parts =/
so, how can I make Bruce my best friend? How would I go about doing that?
All very excellent, but, should girls really be allowed to join in ?
hahaha...Nora Jones wins instead of this great album...what a joke
@barfly11 9/11 atmosphere at the time; the rising is a statement
When Bruce Springsteen dies...so dies American Rock 'n' Roll...
still kind of mind-boggling how Norah Jones won for album of the year but the Grammys do all sort of weird things
Yah, its a beautiful song, but the way you explained it...
I'm 15 and i have all of his albums(:
Y'all realize this song is about worshipping satan, right?
so it should be i think big respect too the BOSS !!!!
im 16 and seen him twice, hes fucking immense ! =]
who is the guitarist with the bandanna? thanks
yes he is miami steve. the one wears a turban.
Could he be any cooler?
Do people under 50 years really like this?
Dream of Life.
patti is fine
i'm under 20 and i love it!
thanx, tonicfan!! i love you!! coz this performance is so special that my life has been changed.
almost unbelievably powerful and sincere stage.
:) song makes me cry :)
come to BELGRADE!!!!
tis is the best
This was the first song I listened to when i was 5. And when my parents said I couldnt go see Bruce cause i was only 5, i was pissed. But now i think I can go since im 14 now XD.
Does anyone notice that Bruce's voice always sounds so rough whenever he's not performing at a "real" concert?
This is pretty impressive...and inspiring. To be so real...and so uplifting...in such a shallow pretentious and fake Awards ceremony. Awesome stuff Bruce!
There is no one better.
IMMENSO Bruce
He is the BEST
the best BRUCE
Top 5 songs
Class
Well, then, I must have been to an especially loutish group, then. I don't do well with crowds and all that, and the noise level (and music level, too) really hurts me at a rock concert. One of the dreams of my life is to see Bruce in a small club, and get to shake his hand and thank him for all he does, on and off stage. I'm sure I'm not alone in that.
@wavinglight good story, but live your life for the goodness and individuality in YOU...YOU are unique and have lots of value...you don't need perceived idols to make you feel good about yourself =)
Actually, his album The Rising was a direct reaction/reflection on September 11, 2001. If you think about it, this song is supposed to be from a firefighter's point-of-view (at least that is what I think, I could be wrong!)). You are correct, however, when you say he has played it for political things and has political connections, etc.
steve van zandt,
I think one of Bruce's main goals in anything he makes is trying to give hope back to Americans, especially ones who need to here that things will get better! You are sooo correct there! One of my favorite songs by him is Promised Land (which I think he has used to help support his political views and candidates also). I was at work and unfortunatly did not get to see Obama win, but I did get to hear his speech on the radio. Bruce speaks to us all--right to the heart of America.
NEW JERSEY COME ON UP FOR THE RISING
I am just a small person on this planet, but if there is anything I can do to help, put me in coach I'm ready to play.
Clarence is up there shouting Come on New Jersey get up and GO BABY GO
Governor Christie I pray for you and all of New Jersey. I pray for an abundance of resources to be available for the people of your state.
Sensational music from The Boss.
Just waiting to see and hear him perform tonight at Barack Obama's inauguration concert tonight.
This fills me with so much emotion.
Go Barack & Bruce !!!
What a powerful song!! The words 2 this song is simply UNBELIEVABLE just spot on!! Bruce Springsteen is just an amazing song writer!
He is the coolest politician ever mate ;) In Holland we always laugh about him, but I can understand they think different in Italy ;)
@amedmatt911 Thank you. Hope that everyday people in this country would fight to retain the rights they have earned.
ive listened to his music since i was 7, and im now 14 and i love it!
Stupendoooooooo
That was the VMA's. Robin Williams did his Grammy introduction :)
they don't make singers like this anymore.. he is a pure Legend, and 90% of the celebrities in that audience need to bow down !!!
excuse my ignorance, but what is the 'sixty pound stone' he is carrying on his back in the first verse?
It is called INTENSITY and being totally lost in his craft...go to youtube THE RISING STORYTELLERS where he is alone on his acoustic and see what you think.
Thank god for Elvis, Bruce Springsteen and U2.
@jacktala1 That's what I've been hoping as well. And yes, God is definitely a God of mercy. :)
Bruce is simply amazing!! Untill now i´ve seen his 34 times, this summer i will see him in Torino, Rome, Sevilla and Compostela and in October, New Jersey!
Long live the Boss!!!!!!!!
thanks bruce for everything! a hail from brazil! please come by, me and my mother are waiting
9-11 R.I.P.
Waveinlight...The People are One...you inspire me...pass it on!!!!
3 grammies this year...great bruce!!!!!
BRUCE IS THE BOSS! Going to see him in Antwerp in 4 weeks. Cant wait!!!
Epoch and powerful song. The guy knows how to rock and conduct a dialogue with his fans.
He wanted to show how the Jersey area was affected....not the whole nation?
He's still soooo attractive. Stage presence is still there.
unbelievable...chills up and down me evrytime i hear this.............
the tragedy happened in a field in Pennsylvania and the Pentagon as well.
@bdukie11 you might recognize him from the Sopranos!