Devils & Dust

Album: Devils & Dust (2005)
Charted: 72
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song is about a soldier in a war who had previously fought in Iraq. It utilizes imagery from the old American wild west.
  • Springsteen wrote this a few years before he recorded it. He played it in soundchecks during the 2003 Rising tour.
  • This won Springsteen a Grammy for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England, for all above

Comments: 2

  • Joe from St. Marys, PaA deeply moving song that could be about a soldier in war, someone dealing with an addiction, or any anymore with a war raging inside of them. "What if what you do to survive
    Kills the things you love". This says it all. People dealing with their demons with consequences they cannot control.
  • Johnny from Los Angeles, CaI loved when he sung it at the grammys
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino EditionMusic Quiz

Whether he's splitting ears or burning Nazis, Quentin Tarantino uses memorable music in his films. See if you can match the song to the scene.

Michael W. Smith

Michael W. SmithSongwriter Interviews

Smith breaks down some of his worship tracks as well as his mainstream hits, including "I Will Be Here For You" and "A Place In This World."

Mike Scott of The Waterboys

Mike Scott of The WaterboysSongwriter Interviews

The stories behind "Whole Of The Moon" and "Red Army Blues," and why rock music has "outlived its era of innovation."

Maria Muldaur

Maria MuldaurSongwriter Interviews

The "Midnight At The Oasis" singer is an Old Time gal. She talks about her jug band beginnings and shares a Dylan story.

Joe Ely

Joe ElySongwriter Interviews

The renown Texas songwriter has been at it for 40 years, with tales to tell about The Flatlanders and The Clash - that's Joe's Tex-Mex on "Should I Stay or Should I Go?"

The Police

The PoliceFact or Fiction

Do their first three albums have French titles? Is "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" really meaningless? See if you can tell in this Fact or Fiction.