Atlantic City (song)
Encyclopedia
"Atlantic City" is a song written and recorded by rock musician Bruce Springsteen
, which first appeared on Springsteen's 1982 solo album Nebraska
, considered to be one of Springsteen's most dour albums in tone. It has since often been heard in a full band arrangement in concert.
The song depicts a young couple's romantic escape to the New Jersey
city Atlantic City
, but also wrestles with the inevitability of death as the man in the relationship intends to take a job in organized crime once arriving in the city. The opening lines of "Atlantic City" refer to mafia
violence in nearby Philadelphia
, with Springsteen singing: "Well they blew up the chicken man in Philly last night, now they blew up his house too" (the "chicken man" was mafia boss Philip Testa
, who was killed by a bomb planted at his Philadelphia house in March 1981). The song evokes the widespread uncertainty regarding gambling
during its early years in Atlantic City and its promises to resurrect the city, as well as the young man's uncertainty about taking the less-than-savory job: "Everything dies, baby, that's a fact, but maybe everything that dies someday comes back."
The song version is included on his 1995 Greatest Hits
album and on the 2003 compilation The Essential Bruce Springsteen
.
This was one of nine songs that was featured in an episode of the television series Cold Case and played during its climactic murder scene.
Although the song came out around the same time as the film of the same name, the two works are unrelated.
was produced for "Atlantic City", which received moderate play on MTV
in the United States. Springsteen does not appear in the video, which features stark, black and white images of Atlantic City.
on, "Atlantic City" has made fairly regular appearances in Springsteen's band concerts, with a soft-hard-cycle arrangement very similar to that of "Darkness on the Edge of Town".
Such live versions appear on Springsteen's In Concert/MTV Plugged
(1993) and Live in New York City
(2001) albums. For the 2006 Bruce Springsteen with The Seeger Sessions Band Tour
, "Atlantic City" was drastically rearranged and featured multiple outros; as such it appears on the Live in Dublin
(2007) album.
Kyle and Danielle, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqVtxXdQpQU
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
, which first appeared on Springsteen's 1982 solo album Nebraska
Nebraska (album)
-Themes:The album begins with "Nebraska", a first-person narrative based on the true story of 19-year-old spree killer Charles Starkweather and his 14-year-old girlfriend, Caril Ann Fugate, and ends with "Reason to Believe", a complex narrative that renders its title phrase into contemptuous sarcasm...
, considered to be one of Springsteen's most dour albums in tone. It has since often been heard in a full band arrangement in concert.
History
Springsteen writes in his Greatest Hits sleeve notes, he recorded the track in his bedroom, ".....for $1050 ( the cost of the 4 track Tascam recorder), mixed through an old Gibson guitar unit to a beat box...."The song depicts a young couple's romantic escape to the New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
city Atlantic City
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
, but also wrestles with the inevitability of death as the man in the relationship intends to take a job in organized crime once arriving in the city. The opening lines of "Atlantic City" refer to mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
violence in nearby Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, with Springsteen singing: "Well they blew up the chicken man in Philly last night, now they blew up his house too" (the "chicken man" was mafia boss Philip Testa
Philip Testa
Philip Carlo Testa , also known as "The Chicken Man" or "The Julius Cesar of the Philadelphia Mob" or "Philly", was a Sicilian-born American Mafia figure known for his brief leadership of the Scarfo crime family...
, who was killed by a bomb planted at his Philadelphia house in March 1981). The song evokes the widespread uncertainty regarding gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
during its early years in Atlantic City and its promises to resurrect the city, as well as the young man's uncertainty about taking the less-than-savory job: "Everything dies, baby, that's a fact, but maybe everything that dies someday comes back."
The song version is included on his 1995 Greatest Hits
Greatest Hits (Bruce Springsteen album)
Greatest Hits is Bruce Springsteen's first compilation album, released February 27, 1995 on Columbia Records. It is a collection of some of Springsteen's hit singles and popular album tracks through the years and four extra numbers at the end, mostly recorded with the E Street Band in 1995...
album and on the 2003 compilation The Essential Bruce Springsteen
The Essential Bruce Springsteen
- Charts :- Certifications :- External links :* *...
.
This was one of nine songs that was featured in an episode of the television series Cold Case and played during its climactic murder scene.
Although the song came out around the same time as the film of the same name, the two works are unrelated.
Music video
A music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was produced for "Atlantic City", which received moderate play on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
in the United States. Springsteen does not appear in the video, which features stark, black and white images of Atlantic City.
Live performances
From the Born in the U.S.A. TourBorn in the U.S.A. Tour
The Born in the U.S.A. Tour was the supporting concert tour of Bruce Springsteen's massively popular Born in the U.S.A. album. It was his longest and most successful tour to date. It featured a physically transformed Springsteen. After two years of bodybuilding, Springsteen had bulked up...
on, "Atlantic City" has made fairly regular appearances in Springsteen's band concerts, with a soft-hard-cycle arrangement very similar to that of "Darkness on the Edge of Town".
Such live versions appear on Springsteen's In Concert/MTV Plugged
In Concert/MTV Plugged
In Concert/MTV Plugged is a 1992 concert video and 1993 live album by Bruce Springsteen.It is part of MTV's Unplugged series, recorded on September 22, 1992 at the Warner Hollywood Studios in Los Angeles during the midst of Springsteen's "Other Band" Tour.Bruce Springsteen famously played one song,...
(1993) and Live in New York City
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band: Live In New York City
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band: Live In New York City is the name of a concert film done by HBO, featuring the first ever major televised Bruce Springsteen concert...
(2001) albums. For the 2006 Bruce Springsteen with The Seeger Sessions Band Tour
Bruce Springsteen with The Seeger Sessions Band Tour
The Bruce Springsteen with The Seeger Sessions Band Tour, afterward sometimes referred to simply as the Sessions Band Tour, was a 2006 concert tour featuring Bruce Springsteen and The Sessions Band playing what was billed as "An all-new evening of gospel, folk, and blues," otherwise seen as a form...
, "Atlantic City" was drastically rearranged and featured multiple outros; as such it appears on the Live in Dublin
Bruce Springsteen with The Sessions Band: Live in Dublin
Bruce Springsteen with The Sessions Band: Live in Dublin is a 2007 video and audio offering that captures in-concert performances from the Bruce Springsteen with The Seeger Sessions Band Tour recorded in November 2006 at The Point Theatre in Dublin, Ireland. The release consists of a concert DVD,...
(2007) album.
Covers
The song "Atlantic City" has been covered by other artists, here presented in chronological order:- The ReiversThe Reivers (band)The Reivers were a pop band from Austin, Texas. Formed in 1984 as Zeitgeist, they were forced to change their name before releasing their second album in 1987, due to another group claiming prior rights to the name...
(1986) - BoDeans (1987)
- The BandThe BandThe Band was an acclaimed and influential roots rock group. The original group consisted of Rick Danko , Garth Hudson , Richard Manuel , and Robbie Robertson , and Levon Helm...
on JerichoJericho (album)-The Band:*Rick Danko: Bass guitar, guitars, fiddle, trombone, keyboards, vocals.*Levon Helm: Drums, percussion, mandolin, guitar, vocals.*Garth Hudson: Organ, keyboards, accordion, electric piano, saxophones, synthesizers, horns....
(1993) - Scooter & The Streethearts (1996)
- Counting CrowsCounting CrowsCounting Crows is an American rock band originating from Berkeley, California. Formed in 1991, the group gained popularity following the release of its debut album in 1993, August and Everything After, which featured the hit single "Mr. Jones"...
(1997) - Kurt NeumannKurt Neumann (musician)Kurt Neumann is a singer, guitarist, and songwriter of the roots-rock band BoDeans. Although primarily a guitar player, Neumann has also been known to play drums , bass, keyboards, and mandolin.-History:...
of the BoDeansBoDeansThe BoDeans are a rock band formed in Waukesha, Wisconsin in 1983 by Kurt Neumann and Sam Llanas . In 1985, after adding a drummer and a bassist, the band signed a contract with Slash Records and recorded their first album...
(1997) - Kim Fox (1997)
- Rollin' in the Hay (1998)
- The BadleesThe BadleesThe Badlees are a Roots rock band from central Pennsylvania formed in 1990. They released several independent albums and achieved national success with their 1995 album River Songs...
on The Day's ParadeThe Day's ParadeThe Day's Parade is a five-song EP by American band The Badlees, released on their independent label, Rite-Off Records, in July 1998 when they in "corporate limbo" due to the sale of Polygram to Seagram's corporation earlier in 1998.-Background:...
, Rite-Off Records Catalog# 1135-2 (1998) - John AndersonJohn Anderson (musician)John David Anderson is an American country music artist with a successful career that has lasted more than 30 years...
(2001) - Hank Williams IIIHank Williams IIIShelton Hank Williams, known as Hank 3 , is a neotraditional country and punk metal singer, drummer, bassist, and guitarist. In addition to his honky tonk recordings, Williams' style alternates among country, punk and metal...
on Lovesick, Broke and Driftin'Lovesick, Broke and Driftin'Lovesick, Broke and Driftin', released in 2002, was the second studio album from singer/songwriter Hank Williams III.-Track listing:All songs written by Hank Williams III unless otherwise noted.# "7 Months, 39 Days"...
(2002) - Common Streets (Ron Junker, Mike Gatto) on Garden State of Mind, Vol. 1 (2002)
- Sticks and Stones on The Strife and The Times (2003)
- Pete YornPete YornPeter Joseph Yorn is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist who first gained international recognition after his debut record, Musicforthemorningafter, was released to critical acclaim in 2001.-Early history:Yorn's father is a dentist and his mother is a former concert pianist who worked as a...
on Live from New JerseyLive from New JerseyLive from New Jersey is a live album released by Pete Yorn in 2004.It was recorded in Fall 2003 and actually had been available through Yorn's website since January of that year, but now has an "official" release. This release gives a full concert performance of Yorn, who mixes up tracks from both...
(2004) - Ed HarcourtEd HarcourtEd Harcourt is an English singer-songwriter. To date, he has released five studio albums, two EPs, and thirteen singles. His debut album, Here Be Monsters, was nominated for the 2001 Mercury Prize...
on Elephant's GraveyardElephant's GraveyardElephant's Graveyard is a special collection of B-sides and rarities from singer-songwriter Ed Harcourt. The collection was made available as a digital download only in the UK, and as a hard-to-find promo only 2CD set in the US...
(2005) - Eddie VedderEddie VedderEddie Vedder is an American musician and singer-songwriter who is best known for being the lead singer and one of three guitarists of the alternative rock band Pearl Jam. He is widely considered a cultural icon of alternative rock.He is also involved in soundtrack work and contributes to albums...
(2005) - The MuckrakersThe Muckrakers (band)The Muckrakers were a rock band from Louisville, Kentucky that formed in 1997.-Early days:The band started as a duo, with current lead singer/songwriter Rob Carpenter and singer/guitarist John Ruby. The two met at Western Kentucky University . Shortly after meeting the two began playing all over...
(single digital release) - Atticus FinchAtticus FinchAtticus Finch is a fictional character in Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus is a lawyer and resident of the fictional Maycomb County, Alabama, and the father of Jeremy Atticus "Jem" Finch and Jean Louise "Scout" Finch. Atticus is a central character in the novel...
- Automatic 7Automatic 7-Beggar's Life:-At Funeral Speed:-Musical style:Automatic 7's style has been compared to Social Distortion, Jawbreaker and Face to Face. John Hulett cites Jawbreaker as Automatic 7's greatest influence, and says that the band are Jawbreaker fans....
on At Funeral Speed (2007) - Paul BaribeauPaul BaribeauPaul Baribeau is a folk punk singer and musician from South Central Michigan.. He is signed to the independent record label Plan-It-X Records. His self-titled debut album was released on Plan-It-X Records in January 2004. His second album, Grand Ledge, was also released on Plan-It-X Records in June...
and Ginger Alford for their "Darkness on the Edge of Your Town Tour" CD and Tour (2006, re-released 2009) - Rodney Parker and Fifty Peso Reward on The Lonesome Dirge (2008)
- Levon HelmLevon HelmMark Lavon "Levon" Helm , is an American rock multi-instrumentalist and actor who achieved fame as the drummer and frequent lead and backing vocalist for The Band....
From the Album FestivaLink presents Levon Helm Band MerleFest Ramble at MerleFest (4/26/2008) - Mat KearneyMat KearneyMathew William "Mat" Kearney is an American musician born in Eugene, Oregon, now based in Nashville, Tennessee. Kearney has received critical acclaim and widespread recognition for his Columbia Records debut, Nothing Left to Lose. So far, he has a total of four top 20 hits on the Adult Top 40...
(2009) - The Hold SteadyThe Hold SteadyThe Hold Steady is an American indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2004. The band consists of Craig Finn , Tad Kubler , Galen Polivka , Bobby Drake , and Steve Selvidge...
on War Child'sWar Child (charity)War Child is a non-governmental organisation founded in the UK 1993, which focuses on providing assistance to children in areas of conflict and post-conflict. They use their film and entertainment background to raise money for aid agencies operating in former Yugoslavia...
HeroesHeroes (2009 album)War Child Presents Heroes is a 2009 charity album devoted to the War Child charity's aid efforts in war-stricken areas, such as Iraq, Uganda, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo...
compilation (2009) - Jamie TJamie TJamie Alexander Treays , known by his stage name Jamie T, is an English singer/songwriter from Wimbledon, South London.-Early life:Jamie Alexander Treays, was born in Wimbledon, South-West London...
Emilys Heart Single (2010) - Justin Townes EarleJustin Townes EarleJustin Townes Earle , son of Steve Earle, stepson of Allison Moorer, and named for songwriter Townes Van Zandt is an AMA winning, Americana musician based in Nashville, Tennessee. Earle is signed to Bloodshot Records and has four released albums from 2007–2010...
on the Onion's AV Club - Gerhard GundermannGerhard GundermannGerhard Rüdiger Gundermann, who generally performed as simply Gundermann , was a German singer-songwriter and rock musician. An excavator operator, his musical career began in the former East Germany, where he became known for his clever, often melancholy lyrics imbued with social commentary...
made a German version of the song - Brian FallonBrian FallonBrian Fallon is an American musician. Fallon is one of the founding members of the band The Gaslight Anthem. He plays guitar and provides lead vocals for the band. He is currently working on a side project called The Horrible Crowes....
of The Gaslight AnthemThe Gaslight AnthemThe Gaslight Anthem is an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, consisting of Brian Fallon , Alex Rosamilia , Alex Levine and Benny Horowitz...
97x Green Room October 21, 2008
Sources
Kyle and Danielle, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqVtxXdQpQU