Darlington County (song)

"Darlington County"
Song by Bruce Springsteen
from the album Born in the U.S.A.
Released	June 4, 1984
Recorded	May 13, 1982
Studio	Power Station, New York City
Genre	Rock
Length	4:48
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Bruce Springsteen
Producer(s)	Jon Landau Chuck Plotkin Bruce Springsteen Steve Van Zandt

"Darlington County" is a 1984 song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen. It was released on the album Born in the U.S.A. and has remained a popular concert song for Springsteen and the E Street Band.

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Transcription

Lyrics

The lyrics concern the protagonist and his buddy driving to Darlington County "looking for work on the county line", meeting girls along the way. In the song the protagonist tells girls that their fathers each own one of the "World Trade Centers". The actual Darlington County is in South Carolina.

Background

Springsteen wrote "Darlington County" during the sessions for Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978).^[1] The version of the song that was released on Born in the U.S.A. was recorded on May 13, 1982 at the Power Station in one of the early recording sessions.^[1]

Cover versions

Jeff Stevens and the Bullets took a cover version to No. 69 on the Hot Country Songs charts in 1987.

Live performance history

"Darlington County" was played during every leg of the Born in the U.S.A. Tour. The song did not emerge again until four days after the breakup with the Other Band. During the 1999 Reunion Tour, the song was performed frequently. It has remained popular in concert, and is often paired with "Working on the Highway" in performance. When performing the song live, Springsteen frequently plays the first few bars of the Rolling Stones' "Honky Tonk Women" before the first verse.^[2]^[3]

Personnel

According to authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon:^[1]

Bruce Springsteen – vocals, guitars
Steven Van Zandt – guitars, backing vocals
Roy Bittan – piano, backing vocals
Clarence Clemons – saxophone, cowbell, maracas, backing vocals
Danny Federici – organ
Garry Tallent – bass, backing vocals
Max Weinberg – drums, backing vocals

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Margotin, Philippe; Guesdon, Jean-Michel (2020). Bruce Springsteen All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. London: Cassell Illustrated. p. 236. ISBN 978-1-78472-649-2.
^ "Setlists: 2000". Backstreets.com. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
^ Wosahla, Steve (January 30, 2016). "Bruce Springsteen Opens His Storybook--And Ours". No Depression. Retrieved February 16, 2018.

External links

Lyrics & Audio clips from Brucespringsteen.net

v t e Bruce Springsteen songs
Singles Songs
Singles	"Blinded by the Light" "Spirit in the Night" "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" "Born to Run" "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" "Prove It All Night" "Badlands" "The Promised Land" "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" "Hungry Heart" "Fade Away" "Sherry Darling" "The River" "Cadillac Ranch" "Point Blank" "Atlantic City" "Open All Night" "Dancing in the Dark" "Cover Me" "Born in the U.S.A." "I'm on Fire" "Glory Days" "I'm Goin' Down" "My Hometown" "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" "War" "Fire" "Brilliant Disguise" "Tunnel of Love" "One Step Up" "Tougher Than the Rest" "Spare Parts" "Human Touch" "57 Channels (And Nothin' On)" "Better Days" "Streets of Philadelphia" "Secret Garden" "The Ghost of Tom Joad" "Sad Eyes" "The Rising" "Lonesome Day" "Waitin' on a Sunny Day" "Devils & Dust" "Radio Nowhere" "Girls in Their Summer Clothes" "Working on a Dream" "My Lucky Day" "The Wrestler" "We Take Care of Our Own" "Death to My Hometown" "High Hopes" "Just Like Fire Would" "Hello Sunshine" "There Goes My Miracle" "Tucson Train" "Western Stars" "Letter to You" "Ghosts" "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)" "Nighshift" "Don't Play That Song" "Turn Back the Hands of Time"
Charting songs	"Be True" "Ramrod" "Nebraska" "Johnny 99" "No Surrender" "Bobby Jean" "Stand on It" "Trapped" (live) "Because the Night" (live) "Chimes of Freedom" (live) "Youngstown" "American Skin (41 Shots)" "Pay Me My Money Down" "Long Walk Home" "My City of Ruins" "Rocky Ground" "The Power of Prayer"
Other songs	"Growin' Up" "For You" "Incident on 57th Street" "The Fever" "Thunder Road" "Night" "Backstreets" "She's the One" "Meeting Across the River" "Jungleland" "Adam Raised a Cain" "Racing in the Street" "Darkness on the Edge of Town" "Stay" "The Ties That Bind" "Independence Day" "Out in the Street" "Stolen Car" "Wreck on the Highway" "Highway Patrolman" "Darlington County" "Working on the Highway" "Downbound Train" "Pink Cadillac" "Jersey Girl" "Light of Day" "The New Timer" "Land of Hope and Dreams" "Hunter of Invisible Game" "Chinatown"

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This page was last edited on 24 March 2024, at 17:36

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