My City Of Ruins

Album: The Rising (2002)
Play Video
  • There's a blood red circle
    On the cold dark ground
    And the rain is falling down
    The church door's thrown open
    I can hear the organ's song
    But the congregation's gone
    My city of ruins
    My city of ruins

    Now the sweet bells of mercy
    Drift through the evening trees
    Young men on the corner
    Like scattered leaves
    The boarded up windows
    The empty streets
    While my brother's down on his knees
    My city of ruins
    My city of ruins

    Come on, rise up
    Come on, rise up
    Come on, rise up
    Come on, rise up
    Come on, rise up
    Come on, rise up
    Come on, rise up

    Now there's tears on the pillow
    Darlin', where we slept
    And you took my heart when you left
    Without your sweet kiss
    My soul is lost, my friend
    Tell me how do I begin again?
    My city's in ruins
    My city's in ruins

    Now with these hands
    With these hands
    With these hands
    With these hands, I pray Lord
    With these hands
    With these hands
    I pray for the strength, Lord
    With these hands
    With these hands
    Yeah, I pray for the faith, Lord
    With these hands
    With these hands
    I pray for your love, Lord
    With these hands
    With these hands
    I pray for the strength, Lord
    With these hands
    With these hands
    I pray for your love, Lord
    With these hands
    With these hands
    Pray for your faith, Lord
    With these hands (oh yeah)
    With these hands
    I pray for the strength, Lord
    With these hands (come on)
    With these hands (come on)

    Come on, rise up
    Come on, rise up
    Come on, rise up
    Come on, rise up
    Come on, rise up
    Come on, rise up
    Come on, rise up
    Come on, rise up
    Come on, rise up
    Come on, rise up
    Come on, rise up Writer/s: Bruce Springsteen
    Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 3

  • Glenn Wiener from White Plains, NyThis song is very special as it tells all of us to rise up after we have faced adversity. Very overlooked as this is one of Bruce's best songs of all time.
  • MikeThis was Springsteen's finest moment among so many. It was the perfect song to open the tribute show, and the perfect song to start a nation healing. It may not have been originally about 9/11, but it became so after his performance.
  • James Thomson from Glasgow, United KingdomThis is a brilliant song, even though it wasn't written about the attacks, it sums up the aftermath so effectively
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Rick Astley

Rick AstleySongwriter Interviews

Rick Astley on "Never Gonna Give You Up," "Cry For Help," and his remarkable resurgence that gave him another #1 UK album.

Shawn Mullins

Shawn MullinsSongwriter Interviews

"Lullaby" singer Shawn Mullins on "Beautiful Wreck," beating the Devil, and his writing credit on the Zac Brown Band song "Toes."

Bryan Adams

Bryan AdamsSongwriter Interviews

What's the deal with "Summer of '69"? Bryan explains what the song is really about, and shares more of his songwriting insights.

Sending Out An SOS - Distress Signals In Songs

Sending Out An SOS - Distress Signals In SongsSong Writing

Songs where something goes horribly wrong (literally or metaphorically), and help is needed right away.

Facebook, Bromance and Email - The First Songs To Use New Words

Facebook, Bromance and Email - The First Songs To Use New WordsSong Writing

Where words like "email," "thirsty," "Twitter" and "gangsta" first showed up in songs, and which songs popularized them.

Max Cavalera of Soulfly (ex-Sepultura)

Max Cavalera of Soulfly (ex-Sepultura)Songwriter Interviews

The Brazilian rocker sees pictures in his riffs. When he came up with one of his gnarliest songs, there was a riot going on.