The Angel (Bruce Springsteen song)
Encyclopedia
"The Angel" is a song by Bruce Springsteen
from the album Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.
in 1973. It was also released as the B-side to Springsteen's "Blinded by the Light
" single. The song was part of the demo that Springsteen recorded for John Hammond
of CBS Records
in advance of getting his first recording contract. At the time Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. was released, Springsteen considered it his most sophisticated song. It has had virtually no live performances.
.
The lyrics describe a man referred to as "the angel" and a woman who is "Madison Avenue's claim to fame in a trainer bra with eyes like rain." This song has a fully developed automobile theme, including some lines such as "The interstate's choked with nomadic hordes/in Volkswagen vans with full running boards dragging great anchors/Followin' dead-end signs into the sores/The angel rides by humpin' his hunk metal whore". Another notable line is the historic "hubcap heaven." Bruce took one of his early rare photos in front of this site in Monmouth New Jersey. The referenced "Hubcap Heaven" is now known as "The Hubcap Farm" and is still in business. Bruce once said he would never play this song live, and he went 23 years keeping that promise. In London
in 1996, on his acoustic Ghost of Tom Joad Tour
, Bruce played the song. Until later 2009, that had been its only live performance. However, on November 22, 2009, in Buffalo, New York
, which was the final 2009 show of his scheduled Working On A Dream Tour
, he and the E Street Band performed the song, along with the rest of the Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.
album. It was the first performance of the song with the E Street Band
.
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
from the album Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.
Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.
Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. is the first studio album by Bruce Springsteen, released in 1973. It only sold about 25,000 copies in the first year of its release, but had significant critical impact...
in 1973. It was also released as the B-side to Springsteen's "Blinded by the Light
Blinded by the Light
"Blinded by the Light" is a song written and originally recorded by Bruce Springsteen, although it is mostly known by its 1977 #1 hit version recorded by Manfred Mann's Earth Band. It was released in the United Kingdom in August 1976, where it reached No...
" single. The song was part of the demo that Springsteen recorded for John Hammond
John H. Hammond
John Henry Hammond II was an American record producer, musician and music critic from the 1930s to the early 1980s...
of CBS Records
CBS Records
CBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
in advance of getting his first recording contract. At the time Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. was released, Springsteen considered it his most sophisticated song. It has had virtually no live performances.
Music and lyrics
The song is one of the slower tracks on Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J., played on piano. However, late in the recording sessions for Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J., Richard Davis overdubbed an upright bass part for the song. The lyrics of the song are about a motorcycle outlaw. The lyrics are full of automobile imagery. One line: "The interstate's choked with nomadic hordes" may have been later reworked into the classic line "The highway's jammed with broken heroes" on "Born to RunBorn to Run (song)
"Born to Run" is a song by American singer songwriter Bruce Springsteen, and the title song of his album Born to Run.- Songwriting :Written at in Long Branch, New Jersey in early 1974, the song was Bruce Springsteen's last-ditch effort to make it big. The prior year, Springsteen had released two...
.
The lyrics describe a man referred to as "the angel" and a woman who is "Madison Avenue's claim to fame in a trainer bra with eyes like rain." This song has a fully developed automobile theme, including some lines such as "The interstate's choked with nomadic hordes/in Volkswagen vans with full running boards dragging great anchors/Followin' dead-end signs into the sores/The angel rides by humpin' his hunk metal whore". Another notable line is the historic "hubcap heaven." Bruce took one of his early rare photos in front of this site in Monmouth New Jersey. The referenced "Hubcap Heaven" is now known as "The Hubcap Farm" and is still in business. Bruce once said he would never play this song live, and he went 23 years keeping that promise. In London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1996, on his acoustic Ghost of Tom Joad Tour
Ghost of Tom Joad Tour
The Ghost of Tom Joad Tour was a lengthy, worldwide concert tour featuring Bruce Springsteen performing alone on stage in small halls and theatres, that ran off and on from late 1995 through the middle of 1997. It followed the release of his 1995 album The Ghost of Tom Joad.-Itinerary:The tour...
, Bruce played the song. Until later 2009, that had been its only live performance. However, on November 22, 2009, in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, which was the final 2009 show of his scheduled Working On A Dream Tour
Working on a Dream Tour
The Working on a Dream Tour was a concert tour by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, which began in April 2009 and ended in November 2009...
, he and the E Street Band performed the song, along with the rest of the Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.
Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.
Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. is the first studio album by Bruce Springsteen, released in 1973. It only sold about 25,000 copies in the first year of its release, but had significant critical impact...
album. It was the first performance of the song with the E Street Band
E Street Band
The E Street Band has been rock musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972.The band has also recorded with a wide range of other artists including Bob Dylan, Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, Air Supply, Dire Straits, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Nicks, Tom Morello, Sting, Ian...
.