Born to Run (Lied)

2009-05-26T07:21:59Z

TimSPC: /* Live performance history */

{{onesource|article|date=December 2008}}
{{Infobox Single |
| Name = Born to Run
| Cover = borntorunsingle.jpg
| Artist = [[Bruce Springsteen]]
| from Album = [[Born to Run]]
| Released = [[August 25]], [[1975]]
| Format = [[7"]]
| Recorded = [[914 Sound Studios]] [[Blauvelt, New York]] up to August 6, 1974
| Genre = [[Rock and roll|Rock]]
| Length = 4:30
| Label = [[CBS Records]]
| Producer = [[Bruce Springsteen]] [[Mike Appel]]
| Reviews =
| Last single = ''[[Spirit in the Night]]'' (1973)
| This single = ''Born to Run/[[Meeting Across the River]]'' (1975)
| Next single = ''[[Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out]]/[[She's the One (song)|She's the One]]'' (1976)
}}

{{For|the [[Paul Kennerly]] song|Cimarron (Emmylou Harris album)}}
"'''Born to Run'''" is from [[United States|American]] [[singer songwriter]] [[Bruce Springsteen]], and the title song of his album ''[[Born to Run]]''.

== Songwriting ==
Written at [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=7+west+end+court,+long+branch,+nj&sll=40.283438,-73.984616&sspn=0.011098,0.027809&g=%227+1%2F2%22++west+end+court,+long+branch,+nj&ie=UTF8&ll=40.283323,-73.985538&spn=0.011098,0.027809&t=h&z=16 7½ West End Court] in [[Long Branch, New Jersey]] in early 1974, the song was Bruce Springsteen's last-ditch effort to make it big. The prior year, Springsteen had released two albums to critical acclaim but with little commercial success. The lyrics to the song are appropriately epic for his last-ditch, all-or-nothing shot at the stars, yet they remain rooted in the universal desperation of adolescence: ''We gotta get out while we're young, 'cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run.''

Written in the [[first-person narrative|first person]], the song is a love letter to a girl named Wendy (''Wendy let me in I wanna be your friend I wanna guard your dreams and visions...; I wanna die with you Wendy on the streets tonight/in an everlasting kiss!''), for whom the hot-rod-riding protagonist certainly has enough passion to love, but perhaps not the patience. However, Springsteen has noted that it has a much simpler core: getting out of [[Asbury Park]].

In his 1996 book ''Songs'', Springsteen relates that while the beginning of the song was written on guitar around the opening riff, the song's writing was finished on piano, the instrument that most of the ''Born to Run'' album was composed on.

In the period prior to the release of ''Born to Run'' Springsteen was becoming well-known (especially in his native northeast) for his epic live shows. "Born to Run" joined his concert repertoire well before the release of the album, being performed in concert by May 1974 if not earlier.

The first recording of the song was made by [[Allan Clarke (singer)|Allan Clarke]] of the British group [[The Hollies]], although its release was delayed, only appearing after Springsteen's own now-famous version.

== Recording ==
In recording the song, Springsteen first earned his noted reputation for perfectionism, laying down as many as eleven guitar tracks to get the sound just right. The recording process and alternate ideas for the song's arrangement are described in the ''Wings For Wheels'' documentary [[DVD]] included in the 2005 reissue ''[[Born to Run 30th Anniversary Edition]]'' package.

The track was recorded at [[914 Sound Studios]] in [[Blauvelt, New York]] amidst touring breaks during 1974, with final recording done on [[August 6]], well in advance of the rest of the album, and featured [[Ernest Carter (drummer)|Ernest "Boom" Carter]] on the drums and [[David Sancious]] on keyboards; they would be replaced by [[Max Weinberg]] and [[Roy Bittan]] for the rest of the album and in the ongoing [[E Street Band]] (which was still uncredited on Springsteen's records at the time). The song was also recorded with only Springsteen and [[Mike Appel]] as producers; it would be later in the following year, when work on the album bogged down, that [[Jon Landau]] was brought in as an additional producer.

A pre-release version of the song, with a slightly different mix, was given by Appel to disc jockey [[Ed Sciaky]] of [[WMMR]] in [[Philadelphia]] in early November 1974, and within a couple of weeks was given to other [[progressive rock (radio format)|progressive rock radio]] outlets as well, including [[WWFS|WNEW]] in [[New York City|New York]], [[WMMS]] in [[Cleveland]], [[WBCN]] in [[Boston]], and [[WVBR]] in [[Ithaca, New York]]. It immediately became quite popular on these stations, and led to cuts from Springsteen's first two albums being frequently played as well as building anticipation for the album release.

Upon release in August 1975, the song and the album became unparalleled successes for Springsteen, springing him into stardom, and resulting in simultaneous cover stories in ''[[Time Magazine|Time]]'' and ''[[Newsweek]]'' magazines.

==Honors and accolades==
In 2004, "Born to Run" was ranked #6 in [[WXPN]]'s list of ''The 885 All-Time Greatest Songs''. [[Rolling Stone]] magazine's [[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time|list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time]] placed it at #21, while the song came in at #920 in [[Q (magazine)|Q]]'s list of the "1001 Greatest Songs Ever" in 2003, in which they described the song as "best for [[working class]] heroes." It is one of [[The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll]]. In 2001 the [[RIAA]]'s [[Songs of the Century]] placed the song 135th (out of 365). It was ranked the #1 greatest song of all time on [[Vh1]]'s recent Top 1000 Songs Of All Time countdown.

On [[June 12]], [[1979]], "Born to Run" was named New Jersey's "Unofficial Youth Rock Anthem" by the [[New Jersey State Legislature]], something Springsteen always considered ironic because it was "about leaving Jersey."

==Track listing==
#Born to Run - 4:31
#[[Meeting Across the River]] - 3:18

The [[B-side]] was simply another cut from the album; Springsteen would not begin releasing unused tracks as B-sides until 1980.

== Chart performance ==
"Born to Run" was Springsteen's first worldwide [[single (music)|single]] release, although it achieved little initial success outside of the [[United States]].

Within the U.S. it received extensive airplay on [[Progressive rock (radio format)|progressive]] or [[album-oriented rock]] radio stations and the single was a top 40 hit, reaching number 23 on the [[Billboard Hot 100]]. <ref>Nielsen Business Media Inc.. 1/5/08 [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/charts/chart_display.jsp?g=Singles&f=The+Billboard+Hot+100]</ref>

== Live performance history ==
[[Image:BornToRunHartford100207.jpg|thumb|right|234px|House lights on for a typical performance of "Born to Run". [[Hartford Civic Center]], October 2, 2007.]]
[[File:BTRMeadownlands052109.jpg|thumb|right|234px|"Born to Run" in its home state of New Jersey. [[Izod Center]], May 21, 2009.]]
The song has been played at nearly every non-solo Springsteen concert since 1975 (although it was not included in the 2006 [[Bruce Springsteen with The Seeger Sessions Band Tour|Sessions Band Tour]]). Most of the time the house lights are turned fully on and fans consistently sing along with Springsteen's signature wordless vocalizations throughout the song's performance.

The song has also been released in live versions on five albums or DVDs:
*A 1975 [[Born to Run tours|Born to Run Tour]] rendition on ''[[Hammersmith Odeon London '75]]'', released in 2006;
*A 1985 [[Born in the U.S.A. Tour]] runthrough on ''[[Live/1975-85]]'', released in 1986;
*A starkly different 1988 solo acoustic guitar performance from the [[Tunnel of Love Express]] on ''[[Chimes of Freedom (EP)|Chimes of Freedom]]'', a 1988 [[extended play|EP]];
*A 2000 [[Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Reunion Tour|Reunion Tour]] version on ''[[Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band: Live In New York City]]'', released in 2001 (the song closes disc one but does not appear on the track listing of the album cover);
*A 2002 [[The Rising Tour|Rising Tour]] take on the ''[[Live in Barcelona]]'' DVD, released in 2003.

"Born to Run" was also performed as the second number of four during Springsteen and the E Street Band's halftime performance at [[Super Bowl XLIII]].

== Music videos ==
"Born to Run" predates the [[music video]] era and no film or video clip was made of it at the time.

In 1987 a video was released to [[MTV]] and other channels, featuring a live performance of "Born to Run" from Springsteen and the E Street Band's 1984-1985 [[Born in the U.S.A. Tour]], with the video interspersed with clips from other songs' performances from that tour as well. It closed with a "Thank you" graphic to Springsteen's fans.

In 1988 director [[Meiert Avis]] shot a video of an acoustic version of the song during the [[Tunnel of Love Express]] tour.

Both videos are included in the compilations:
*[[Video Anthology / 1978-88]]
*[[The Complete Video Anthology / 1978-2000]]

== Cultural references ==
In 1999, [[National Public Radio]] included the song in the "NPR 100," in which NPR's music editors sought to compile the one hundred most important American musical works of the 20th century.

The children's show ''[[Sesame Street]]'' featured a song about arithmetic called "Born To Add", sung by a Springsteen-like [[Muppet]]. Its background music, however, sounded more like Springsteen's "[[Jungleland]]", though it did feature a "Born to Run"-ish saxophone solo. The British comedy program ''[[Spitting Image]]'' once featured a Bruce Springsteen puppet singing a parody entitled "Born To Teach Woodwork".

In an episode of ''[[The Simpsons]]'', "[[Lisa's Rival]]", Lisa Simpson imagines herself in "the 2nd best band in America" playing their "number 2 hit" called "Born to Runner-Up", a reference to this song.

In the [[Japan]]ese novel ''[[Battle Royale]]'', the main character Shuya Nanahara is a Bruce Springsteen fanatic, despite the fictional Republic of East Asia's ban on [[rock and roll|rock music]]. The lyrics to "Born to Run" are quoted a few times in the book, as Shuya applies them to his own need to get out of Japan, down to singing them, replacing Wendy with his Noriko, in the very closing of the book. They also appear in the opening quotes of the book.

In an episode of ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]'', [[Joel Robinson]] chides [[Tom Servo]] and [[Crow T. Robot]] for teaching [[Gypsy (MST3K)|Gypsy]] some racy lyrics ("Just wrap your legs 'round these velvet rims / and strap your hands across my engines") from "Born to Run".

In "[[Long Term Parking]]", an episode of ''[[The Sopranos]]'', [[Tony Soprano]] and [[Silvio Dante]] are waiting for [[Christopher Moltisanti]] to arrive; when he shows up late he explains that "the highway was jammed with broken heroes on a last-chance power drive," quoting the lyrics to "Born to Run". Dante is played by E Street bandmate [[Steven Van Zandt]].

[[Melissa Etheridge]] sang "Born to Run" at the [[September 11]] benefit [[The Concert for New York City]]. Australian band [[Something for Kate]] are known to perform a cover of "Born to Run" at frequent live performances. British band [[Frankie Goes to Hollywood]] covered the song on their album ''[[Welcome to the Pleasuredome]]''. British band [[McFly]] also performed the song for [[BBC Radio 1]]'s [[Live Lounge]] on the 10th of December 2007.

In one strip of ''[[Zits (comic strip)|Zits]]'', Jeremy Duncan's father, Walt, sings the song while washing his car, wearing flip-flops and his boxers.

Comedian [[Robert Wuhl]] discussed and performed parts of this song in his act inquiring as to whether a song with the phrases 'suicide machine' and 'we gotta get out (of New Jersey?) while we're young' was appropriate for a state anthem.

Indie-rock musician and "talking-songs" creator [[Adam Gnade]] ends his single "We Live Nowhere and Know No One" with the line "because Bruce had it right and Johnny had it wrong/we're not born to lose/we're born to run." The "Johnny" referred to in the song is late musician and New York Dolls member [[Johnny Thunders]] who wrote the song "Born to Lose."

[[The Hold Steady]] reference "Born to Run" on their song "Charlemange in Sweatpants," with the line "tramps like us and we like tramps." They also reference "Born To Run" in the song "Barfruit Blues," with the line "Half the crowd's calling out for 'Born To Run', the other half's calling out for 'Born To Lose', baby, we were born to choose."

The song was available as downloadable content for the game [[Guitar Hero World Tour]] on January 27, 2009 along with [[My Lucky Day (song)|My Lucky Day]] as part as the Bruce Springsteen Pack.

In Jeremy Clarksons Motorworld episode on detroit he uses the line "broken hero on a last chance powerdrive" when driving a dodge viper.

==Critical Appraisals==
*''Is "Born to Run" the Best Song Ever Written?'' - Bryan Price [http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/02/08/165141.php BlogCritics Magazine]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=33:39frxx95ldke "'Born to Run' review"], ''[[AllMusic]]''.
* [http://www.brucespringsteen.net/songs/BornToRun.html Lyrics & Audio clips from Brucespringsteen.net]

[[Category:1975 singles]]
[[Category:Bruce Springsteen songs]]
[[Category:U.S. Route 9]]
[[Category:Songs written by Bruce Springsteen]]

[[hr:Born to Run (pjesma)]]
[[it:Born to Run (canzone)]]

Ossian Sweet

2006-04-21T16:17:09Z

TimSPC: Ossian was not acquitted. First trial was a mistrial. Henry Sweet was acquitted. No one else was tried.

'''Ossian Sweet''' (died [[1960]]) was an [[African American]] doctor notable for his [[self-defense]] of his newly-purcashed home against a white mob attempting to force him out in [[Detroit]] in 1925.

Sweet was born in [[Florida]. He earned his undergrad degree from [[Wilberforce University] and studied [[medicine]] at [[Howard University]]. He practiced in Detroit, then studied further in [[Vienna]] and [[Paris]]. He returned to Detroit in 1924 and started to work at Detroit's first black hospital, Dunbar. Having saved enough money, he moved his family in [[1925]] from the lower east side [[ghetto]] to 2905 Garland Road, in an all-white neighborhood at Garland and Charlevoix.

In the following days, Sweet's house was repeatedly surrounded by white mobs, encouraged by the "Waterworks Improvement Association," which gathered outside Sweet's home to force him to move from the neighborhood. At around 10 pm on Thursday, [[September 9]] [[1925]], [[Leon Breiner]], one member of the mob of at least 1,000 people was shot dead, and another was injured. The shots were fired from within Sweet's house.

All eleven occupants of the house (Sweet, his wife Gladys, two brothers and a number of friends who were helping Sweet to defend his home) were arrested and tried for murder by a jury presided over by young judge [[Frank Murphy]]. With assistance from the [[NAACP]], the defense (headed by [[Clarence Darrow]], assisted by [[Arthur Garfield Hays]] and [[Walter M. Nelson]]) successfully put across the fear that had assailed Sweet and his friends, and also asked whether the jury of 12 whites would be able to give a [[Negro]] a fair trial. The first [[jury]] was unable to form a verdict after 46 hours of deliberations.

The defense then elected to hold eleven seperate trails. Henry Sweet, Ossian's younger brother who had admitted to actually firing the gun, was tried first and defended again by Darrow with Detroit lawyer [[Thomas Chawke]] replacing Hays. He was acquitted after a deliberation of less than four hours. The prosecution then dropped the charges against the remaining ten defendants.

Sweet's later life was troubled. His daughter Iva died at the age of 2 in 1926, and his wife died soon after, both from [[tuberculosis]]. Breiner's widow sued for $150,000, but the case was dismissed. Sweet ran for office four times, but lost each time. He remarried twice, but both marriages ended in divorce. He committed suicide in 1960.

[[Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age]], by [[Kevin Boyle]], chronicles Sweet's life and trial, and was awarded the [[2004]] [[National Book Award]] for Non-Fiction.

==External links==
*[http://info.detnews.com/history/story/index.cfm?id=201&category=events 'I have to die a man or live a coward']
*[http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/detroit/d4.htm Ossian Sweet House]
*[http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/sweet/biographies.HTM Key figures in the Sweet trials]
*[http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/not_guilty/clarence_darrow/index.html Article at crimelibrary.com on the Sweet trials]

[[Category:American physicians|Sweet, Ossian]]
[[Category:1960 deaths|Sweet, Ossian]]

Wikipedia - Benutzerbeiträge [de]

Born to Run (Lied)

Ossian Sweet