About the song
Bruce Springsteen’s 1975 epic “Jungleland” is the closing track on his landmark album Born to Run. This nearly ten-minute song is a cinematic journey through the lives of urban characters, capturing the struggles and dreams of those living in the gritty underbelly of a city.
The song opens with a haunting piano introduction by Roy Bittan, setting a dramatic tone that unfolds into a rich tapestry of sound featuring Springsteen’s evocative lyrics, Clarence Clemons’ iconic saxophone solo, and the powerful backing of the E Street Band. “Jungleland” tells the story of the “Rat” and the “Barefoot Girl” and their ill-fated romance amidst a backdrop of street violence and broken dreams.
Springsteen’s storytelling prowess is on full display, painting vivid pictures of life in the urban jungle. The song’s complex structure, emotional depth, and instrumental virtuosity make it a standout in Springsteen’s catalog and a fan favorite. “Jungleland” is a testament to Springsteen’s ability to merge rock and poetry, creating an enduring anthem that resonates with listeners long after the final notes fade.
Video
Lyric
The Rangers had a homecomingIn Harlem late last nightAnd the Magic Rat drove his sleek machineOver the Jersey state lineBarefoot girl sitting on the hood of a DodgeDrinking warm beer in the soft summer rainThe Rat pulls into town, rolls up his pantsTogether they take a stab at romanceAnd disappear down Flamingo LaneWell the Maximum Lawmen run down FlamingoChasing the Rat and the barefoot girlAnd the kids round here look just like shadowsAlways quiet, holding handsFrom the churches to the jailsTonight all is silence in the worldAs we take our standDown in JunglelandThe midnight gang’s assembledAnd picked a rendezvous for the nightThey’ll meet ‘neath that giant Exxon signThat brings this fair city lightMan, there’s an opera out on the TurnpikeThere’s a ballet being fought out in the alleyUntil the local copsCherry TopsRips this holy nightThe street’s aliveAs secret debts are paidContacts made, they vanish unseenKids flash guitars just like switchbladesHustling for the record machineThe hungry and the huntedExplode into rock ‘n’ roll bandsThat face off against each other out in the streetDown in JunglelandIn the parking lot the visionariesDress in the latest rageInside the backstreet girls are dancingTo the records that the DJ playsLonely-hearted loversStruggle in dark cornersDesperate as the night moves onJust one lookAnd a whisper, and they’re goneBeneath the city two hearts beatSoul engines running through a night so tenderIn a bedroom lockedIn whispers of soft refusalAnd then surrenderIn the tunnels uptownThe Rat’s own dream guns him downAs shots echo down them hallways in the nightNo one watches when the ambulance pulls awayOr as the girl shuts out the bedroom lightOutside the street’s on fireIn a real death waltzBetween what’s flesh and what’s fantasyAnd the poets down hereDon’t write nothing at allThey just stand back and let it all beAnd in the quick of the nightThey reach for their momentAnd try to make an honest standBut they wind up woundedNot even deadTonight in Jungleland