Darkness On The Edge Of Town

Album: Darkness On The Edge Of Town (1978)
Play Video
  • Well they're still racing out at the trestles
    But that blood it never burned in her veins
    Now I hear she's got a house up in Fairview
    And a style she's trying to maintain

    Well if she wants to see me
    You can tell her that I'm easily found
    Tell her there's a spot out 'neath Abraham's bridge, tell her
    There's a darkness on the edge of town
    There's a darkness on the edge of town

    Well everybody's got a secret, son
    Something that they just can't face
    Some folks spend their whole lives trying to keep it
    They carry it with them every step that they take

    'Til some day they just cut it loose
    Cut it loose or let it drag 'em down
    Where no one asks any questions
    Or looks too long in your face
    In the darkness on the edge of town
    In the darkness on the edge of town

    Some folks are born into a good life
    And other folks get it anyway anyhow
    Yeah and I lost my money and I lost my wife
    Them things don't seem to matter much to me now

    Tonight I'll be on that hill 'cause I can't stop
    I'll be on that hill with everything I got
    With our lives on the line where dreams are found and lost
    I'll be there on time and I'll pay the cost
    For wanting things that can only be found
    In the darkness on the edge of town
    In the darkness on the edge of town Writer/s: Bruce Springsteen
    Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 11

  • Bud from Quarryville PaThe feeling Springsteen puts into this song is incredible but then again he does this in all his songs.
  • Jim from Long Beach, Ca"If she wants to see me you can tell her that I'm easily found"..POWERFUL..
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyI don' if this is a true fact, but was the 'darkness' album was to be originally titled
    'Badlands' but another NJ artist release an album with that title as about the time that 'Darkness' was to be released???
  • Brian from Chicago, IlAs a therapist I totally get this as "personal transformation at the end of your rope." He is facing the darkness (the unknown, one's unconscious, or a change that is out of one's realm of sight). Things aren't working where he is (or, as who he is), so he has to go into the scary unknown, or otherwise let the fear force him to just stay and crumble with his dreams that have already been shattered ("I lost my money and I lost my wife."). The song needs a sequel about the light that he finds that saves him ...in the darkness on the edge of town.
  • John from Columbus, OhNot only a great song, but after adding it, it became the album title as well. Personally, my favorite Springsteen album by far. A masterpiece. It's a must have. Arguably, my number one album of all time.
  • Ken Thomson from Edmonton, AbBruce introduced this song into the Darkness sessions in Apr. 1978--long after the album's recording was apparently considered finished. He walked in and told his engineer that he had a brand new song he wanted to record--one that would basically "close" the album. After this track was recorded, Bruce dropped "The Promise" and "Don't Look Back" from the album's final cut because the former dealt too closely with his recent legal woes, and the latter would have made Side 2 of Darkness too harsh.
  • Scott from Detroit, MiI love this song...but it scared me. I thought Bruce was singing about my deep, dark past
  • Gene from San Diego, CaActually, this song feels like a foil of the previous album. In Born to Run, he sings about being a young racer, experiencing life and love and hope. In Darkness on the Edge of Town, he sings about being older, lost love and hope, and is wasting his life. Great song.
  • Steve from Fenton, MoIncredible song, masterfully sung.
  • Kyle from Belleville, CanadaGood song, fitting that it's at the end of the Darkness album, it just seems to sum the whole album up.
  • Anthony from Clearwater, FlThe Boss's best song, ever!
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"They're Playing My Song

The Nails lead singer Marc Campbell talks about those 44 women he sings about over a stock Casio keyboard track. He's married to one of them now - you might be surprised which.

Sam Hollander

Sam HollanderSongwriter Interviews

The hitmaking songwriter/producer Sam Hollander with stories about songs for Weezer, Panic! At The Disco, Train, Pentatonix, and Fitz And The Tantrums.

Glen Burtnik

Glen BurtnikSongwriter Interviews

On Glen's résumé: hit songwriter, Facebook dominator, and member of Styx.

Dan Reed

Dan ReedSongwriter Interviews

Dan cracked the Top 40 with "Ritual," then went to India and spent 2 hours with the Dalai Lama.

Al Jourgensen of Ministry

Al Jourgensen of MinistrySongwriter Interviews

In the name of song explanation, Al talks about scoring heroin for William Burroughs, and that's not even the most shocking story in this one.

Donnie Iris (Ah! Leah!, The Rapper)

Donnie Iris (Ah! Leah!, The Rapper)Songwriter Interviews

Before "Rap" was a form of music, it was something guys did to pick up girls in nightclubs. Donnie talks about "The Rapper" and reveals the identity of Leah.